Head Over Feet
by snappers
Summary: You've already won me over in spite of me. And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet. Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are. I couldn't help it. It's all your fault... POV chapters. Lots of swearing.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:**I do not own anything. Only Love. He's mine.

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><p><strong>+ HINATA +<strong>

**I'M... OPTIMISTIC?**

_Highway to Hell – AC/DC_

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><p>First day of school.<p>

Kami knows how much I hate first days of school. Every time I entered the classroom on that first day I already knew what the entire year would be like.

Hell.

I wasn't bullied or picked on or anything like that. See, I'm a shy person who has a lot of issues. I'm not the friendly type. I don't walk through the doors with my head high, oozing with self-confidence and with wind blowing my hair. I walked with my head down and feeling extremely self-conscious of everyone's eyes following my every move. And right then there they would label me as the 'shy one'. Believe me, I don't have issues against that. But when I would accidentally hit something because of combined clumsiness and heightened self-awareness and they judge me because of that… well, I thought it was unfair. I feel uncomfortable with over 30 pairs of eyes looking at me, assessing me if I'd be worthy to be a part of them. Of course it turned out that I'm not. I would always choose the seat at the very back of the classroom beside the window. I was paranoid that people would stare if they see me chewing the endpoint of my pen. By sitting at the back, I pretty much declared to everyone that 'No, I'm not interested in making friends' and to 'Stay away'. And when some tried talking to me, I stuttered horribly it would seem as though I have a disease or something. Thus, I'm friendless. To be in high school with no friends was hell.

That was after my parents' divorce. When my mother left us, we moved to the other side of town. I was heartbroken. I had to leave behind the house that I grew up in. Leave behind my friends. That was really painful. To say that I had trouble adjusting would be an understatement. At 12 years old I had to deal with my parents' divorce, my father's indifference to said divorce, my mother's absence, and most of all I had to worry about my little sister. She was just 7. And to top it all off I had to fit in with new kids. Not just once but twice. We moved again when I was 14 and my father enrolled us to an all-girls school. It wasn't that hard to adjust. Although I was friendless again for a couple of years, it wasn't that bad. On my last year in high school I became good friends with a couple of girls.

"Hinata-chan!" Ino calls out, waving me over to them. Sakura is standing beside her with a smile.

Blushing, I walk over to them. I still can't believe that these two and I are like good friends. They're the most popular girls in our school and the prettiest. Whereas I was a nobody. I still am, as a matter of fact. On more than one occasion I did wonder why they approached me. It was either a.) I'm their charity project b.) because I'm a Hyuuga c.) they feel sorry for me or d.) they're using me for whatever reason. But since we've been hanging out for more than a year already and none of those happened yet, I'd say that Ino and Sakura are genuine. And for that I am immensely grateful.

"It's so good to see you again, Hinata-chan," says Sakura as she give me a hug. I return it stiffly. I'm still not used to how my fellow females greet each other.

"You too," I mutter. Ino hugs me next. "And you, Ino-chan."

"How's your summer?" she asks curiously. Her big blue eyes survey my appearance.

"Same as the previous summers," I answer with mild sarcasm. The only interesting thing that happened in my summer was when my childhood friend Shino came back from his vacation in the Amazon with 10 bot flies eating his back. "Yours?"

"We went to New York!" Ino answers excitedly. "It's so beautiful!"

"We basically toured the United States of America," shares Sakura. "New York is also my favourite but I have to say, I really like Hollywood. It's better than what we see on TV, seriously."

Then they went on and on about their fabulous trip while we wait for the entrance ceremony to start. I don't talk much except to say 'ah', 'oh' and 'really' at the appropriate moment. Oh, and smile and nod of course. They don't seem to mind that I don't talk that much. I really like them. They at least acknowledge that I'm a person and not an inanimate object. We were classmates since Senior High, by the way. In that all-girls school. It wasn't until our last year in high school that they started talking to me, though. Anyway, we all ended up in the same university.

"Hey, Hinata-chan!" Ino snaps her fingers at my face, causing me to jump a little. "You're spacing out again."

I blush. "S-sorry…" They chuckle good-naturedly at my social ineptitude. Sometimes I don't know why they still put up with me. Other people would leave me in a corner to rot.

Sakura links her arm with mine. "Anyway, we got something for you."

"What is it?" I ask curiously.

"She pays attention to us if there's something in it for her," Ino teases, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I didn't bring mine with me," Sakura continues. "It's kinda big."

"I'll give mine then," Ino fishes out a wrapped box from her over-sized purse. She hands it to me with a, "Ta~da!"

I unwrap it carefully and when I see what's inside… It's a… it's…

"A Harry Potter shirt!" Ino cries out enthusiastically.

Not just any Harry Potter shirt. It's a Gryffindor shirt, like that one Hermione wore in Half-Blood Prince! "You – you guys went to the theme park?"

"Of course!" Sakura says. "Guess what I got you?"

"Don't tell me… is it a wand?"

"You already have Harry's wand and the Elder wand so I bought Ron's,"

I hug Sakura in delight. "Thank you so much, Sakura-chan! And Ino-chan!"

"You should go there soon. It's amazing!"

We suddenly hear screaming from a distance. Ino gasps, "I think it's Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura squeals madly, "He's here! Omg, omg! I can't believe this! Is this really happening?"

"I totally know how you feel," Ino mutters emotionally. "After years of dreaming… this day has finally arrived. We might even end up being classmates with Uchiha Sasuke!"

And then they both squeal like fangirls. I put the shirt in my bag – I can't wait to wear it! – and ask with mild interest, "Who is Uchiha Sasuke?"

Silence. Then… Ino and Sakura gasp in shock. "Shut. Up."

"Are you for real?" Sakura asks, eyeing me suspiciously. "You can't not know The Uchiha Sasuke."

Isn't that why I'm asking them? Because I don't know? I shrug nonchalantly. "I know about Uchihas, of course," They're still looking at me as though my eyes turned black. "Is he… a celebrity?"

"Well, in a way," answers Sakura. Ino is still speechless from shock. "He's very handsome. Like, seriously handsome. And his sex appeal is out of this world. He's also a genius. He got the top marks in the entrance exam. Kya! I'm so happy I'm in the same university as him!"

"He's also voted as the most eligible bachelor under the age of 20," Ino finally recovers.

"His reputation is stellar!"

"And I heard that he never had a girlfriend."

"It's because he's waiting for me," Sakura declares confidently.

I think this Uchiha Sasuke is gay. I didn't say this out loud, of course. I'm not an idiot. I have a feeling that if I voice out my personal opinion of Uchiha Sasuke in front of them I'll die. Thankfully, the entrance ceremony is about to start.

"We have to hurry!" Ino says, panicking a little. "We might lose the best seats up front!"

"I promised to meet up with Shino and Kiba. See you later," I bid to them.

"See you!" waves Ino, already running off to join the throng of people entering the auditorium.

"See you later, Hinata-chan!" Sakura follows after Ino in a hurry.

And then there was me. I lied. Well, sort of. I'm not really meeting up with my friends right now but later. They'll be a little late because of some misunderstanding, apparently. And I just don't want to sit in the front. Sighing, I step inside the auditorium. I gaze around in amazement. It's big. No, humongous. I've always known that this university is the best and most prestigious in the country and even though my great-uncle is a board member and an uncle is a dean, I never knew that this place is magnificent.

I choose a sit at the back again. My fellow freshmen all look interesting. They are looking around at each other. Some are already having conversations with their seatmates. And then it struck me. This is my first day as a college student. This is not like high school. Everyone is meeting each other for the first time. Maybe… maybe it's time for me to reach out and make friends? Gathering up my courage I look over to my right. I blink. Wow, a rocker. He doesn't have eyebrows. His hair is a flaming red in colour. His eyes are covered with thick man-liner. And his most striking feature is the 'love' tattoo on his forehead.

"Is something wrong?" the tattooed guy asks without turning his head.

"Why?" I ask curiously, staring at the tattoo. It's definitely real. "Why do you have that tattoo on your face?"

He finally turns his head in my direction. His light green eyes are piercing. "Mind your own business."

I flinch. "R-right… S-sorry… I d-didn't mean to…"

Without another word, he turns his attention back to the front and ignores everyone else. So much for striking up a conversation. I catch sight of my uncle the dean entering the auditorium. He sees me and ignores me. Just like everyone in the family these days.

As the eldest daughter of the Hyuuga clan's leader, I was expected to follow my father's footsteps. But I didn't. My father knew since I was young that I didn't have what it takes to be a leader. In short, he gave up on me a long time ago. But the whole family didn't. They're all in denial and still stuck in the old days. They still think I should learn how to be the proper leader because it's my birthright. I'm the first-born. I will gladly suggest to them to check my school records as proof that I am not capable. I'm not intelligent enough nor do I have any leadership quality. And so, I defied everyone and chose to pursue what I want. My father doesn't care. He just looked at me with disappointment and told me to do whatever I want. I did. And so I moved out of the house a week ago. I'm now living with my cousin's friend in an apartment near the school.

I jump in surprise as the whole auditorium erupted with screams. I wonder what's going on. Everyone's on their feet except me and Love. Can I call him Love? It's not like he'll know, anyway.

"What's going on?" I ask out loud but to my surprise Love answers me.

"It's the student with the highest score."

Ah.

It's that Uchiha Sasuke. No point trying to see if he's really as handsome as Ino and Sakura said. I won't see anyway. The people in front of me are tall. I can barely hear his speech. The screaming is too loud it's ridiculous.

My phone vibrates in my bag. Me, attentive much. I should be paying attention to the ceremony but oh well, after that guy's finished with his speech. I received a text message from Kiba, another childhood friend. He wants me to wait for him outside after the ceremony. Kiba, Shino and I are eating lunch together. Smiling fondly, I reply a yes. It feels so wonderful to be together with my two best friends again. They are also attending the same university as I am and we'll be classmates in graduate school. After 2 years, Kiba will study veterinary and Shino will specialize in insects. As for me, I want to play the piano. After 2 years we will go our separate ways again and grow up. But for now, I'm happy we're together…

This first day of school as a college student is not so bad after all.

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><p><em>October 08, 2011 - *sigh* I know… another story… But worry not! I will update Life, Unexpected soon ^^<em>

_This story had been in my head for months. And omg, I can't believe I'm going to write a lemon (or lemons!)! I'll try anyway *blushblush*… This is not a songfic but after hearing Head Over Feet by Alanis Morisette I thought, 'wow, this song fits the story'. The original title was The Only Exception (Paramore) but I felt that the title will give you pretty much the gist of where this story is going. I didn't want to give away too much thru the title, you know? Whereas with Head Over Feet you have to listen to it just to give you an idea on what's it all about. I'm not making any sense, am I? LOL!_

_Argh, please excuse my ranting. Anyway, I should warn you now. The updates are going to be slow so please bear with me ^^_

_I was supposed to post this last week but I was a bit reluctant (I still am) for some odd reason. Maybe the thought of writing lemon/s gave me the cold feet or something lol! Should I continue? Coz like I said, the updates are going to be slow... And I'm busy looking for a job T_T I'm broke ;_;_


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER:** Blah blah blah.

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><p><strong>+ SASUKE +<strong>

**I'M UCHIHA FUCKING SASUKE**

_Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People_

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><p>"Sasuke," a familiar voice utters softly. I can feel a hand shaking me gently. "Sasuke, wake up."<p>

I groan and try to bury myself underneath the sheets. "Go away, Mom…"

"Time to wake up, dear. You have your college entrance ceremony today, remember?"

I love my mother. I really do. But sometimes, no one annoys me more than she ever does. What do I do if someone annoys me? I hit them. Can I hit my own mother? No, I can't. And that makes her the most annoying in everything annoying in this planet. Does she really have to come here just to wake me up? I'm 18 fucking years old, for crying out loud!

"Are you awake yet?" she asks in that gentle voice. I grunt something unintelligible which she takes as a yes. "Good," she says cheerfully. "Breakfast is almost ready."

When the door closes shut behind her I sit up with a scowl. My mother just comes in here whenever she pleases. I sleep naked. What if the sheets fell off and she sees me naked? I pointed this out to her a lot of times before but she never listened. She said she already saw everything ever since I was born. Yawning, I walk to the bathroom in all my glory. College life starts today. It also means I'm moving out of this house. Heh. Can't wait. I should've moved into my new apartment a few weeks ago but my mom insisted that I wait until the term begins. She said it's tradition. My father and I knew differently. She didn't want to let me go, her youngest son. I suppose it's normal for mothers to fuss about their kids becoming adults.

I pause in front of the mirror. I'm so damn handsome. Don't get me wrong. I'm not vain. But I do like keeping my appearance pleasing to the eyes. My gorgeousness is all natural, of course. I mean, even though I don't go to the gym I do sports, just like any man should. I don't put anything on my face. Being an Uchiha, I'm blessed with good genes. The best gene there is, in my opinion. I only eat healthy foods. I would indulge in junk foods once in a while. I don't smoke. My skin is not flawless, though. I have a few scars here and there. There's this one on my shoulder when I crashed Itachi's motorbike 10 years ago. Scars are manly. Never complain about that.

The family is already seated at the table by the time I was done preparing. I'm wearing a simple suit. Nothing fancy. I don't like fancy.

"Aw, isn't he handsome?" my mother gushes affectionately. I cringe. She looks like she's going to burst into tears any second now.

"My little brother is all grown up," says Itachi, looking at me proudly. They always treat me like a baby. Well, except my father. He didn't even treat me like a baby when I was a baby.

"Morning," I greet grumpily, taking a seat. Itachi smirks. Asshole.

Father finally surfaces from behind the newspaper. He sort of glares at me in that fatherly way. "First day of college, huh? Don't get into trouble."

I so want to roll my eyes right now. I always get into trouble but have never been caught. I'm awesome that way. I nod my head in compliance though, "Yes, Father."

"Did our little boy ever give you any trouble, Fugaku?" my mother says, fussing over my breakfast.

Bet she'll feed me if I let her. Opposite me, I can see amusement in Itachi's eyes. I hate how he's Daddy's boy and I'm the Mama's boy. But I'm the youngest so yeah, can't really complain about that. It has certain perks, you know, being the youngest. When I was young, I would get into trouble all the time. But like I said I never got caught. It's all because of Itachi. He would always take the blame for everything. He's the best brother there is. Really.

My father continues giving me advices. "Be respectful towards the professors," As long as the professors respect me I'll respect them. "Study hard and don't spend your free time partying," Am I that irresponsible?

"And no girls allowed in your apartment," Mom adds sternly.

"Where are we going to sleep then?" I ask. That is a perfectly normal question, by the way. But still, my father whacks the back of my head. Fuck, he rolls that newspaper really fast. I rub the spot he hit, "Just kidding."

"Listen to your mother," he warns, pointing his rolled up newspaper at me threateningly. "Don't get a girl pregnant."

"Get a girlfriend first and then you make her pregnant," Itachi imparts casually and I chuckle as it was then his turn to get whacked in the head by our father.

"Itachi!" Mom reprimands softly. "Sasuke, get a girlfriend but don't make her pregnant. At least not until you are married."

"A woman is to be treated with respect," my father says wisely. And then there is this awkward moment AGAIN wherein he and mom gaze lovingly (sickeningly) at each other. They do that all the time. Seriously. I push aside my plate. I just lost my appetite. I'm happy that my parents are still very much in-love with each other but it's really uncomfortable. There's this one time that I walked in on them making out on father's desk in the library. Most awkward moment of my life. I can't even imagine them still having sex. How old are they now?

"I don't think Sasuke's going to find a girlfriend soon," Itachi muses loudly, forcing our parents to remember that they have company. "His standards are rather high."

Mom clears her throat self-consciously. "I'm certain Sasuke will find someone who will make his heart beat fast."

I honestly don't get them fussing over the fact that I haven't had a girlfriend yet. Just because Itachi's been in a relationship with his high school sweetheart since forever, it's as if they expect me to come home one day with a girl in my arms. What's the point of having a girlfriend when all the girls throw themselves at my feet anyway? Whenever I feel the need to get laid I just go to a club and whoever catches my interest… well, let's just say it's considered an honor to be picked by me. Even if it was only for a night. However, there were some instances wherein I would sleep with a girl more than once. Only because they're good in bed and I wasn't in the mood to mingle. I call them mistresses. The affair stays strictly inside the bedroom and nowhere else. Not that I'm looking for 'the one' but I haven't found that person whom I would want to be seen in public with.

I'm from one of the most prominent family in Japan. My father is the speaker of the House of Councillors and we have quite a lot of relatives serving in different government offices. So yeah, no pressure at all really.

"Sasuke," a voice calls out the moment I step out of my car an hour later. I turn around to face her approaching figure but remain quiet. Really? A confrontation in the middle of the parking lot? In the morning? Really? She looks at me accusingly. "You didn't return any of my calls or messages."

She's Karin. She's older than me. She's studying biophysics and biochemistry… and she's supposed to be intelligent. "That means I'm not interested anymore," I tell her quietly and slowly as though I'm talking to a child.

She stops in her tracks. Is she going to throw her stilettos at me? I sigh. I turn down women nicely. Well, as nicely as I can. I was raised properly by my parents and like what my father said, women ought to be respected. But, alas, some women just don't get it.

"But… but why?" she asks tearfully. Fuck. I can't tolerate a crying woman. My somewhat good mood suddenly goes down the drain. Thank you so fucking much, Karin. You just ruined my day. "Last week –"

"– was last week. It belonged to the past. It's over. I made it perfectly clear, did I not, when I left your house?"

"But I love you, Sasuke!" Karin exclaims passionately. "I love you!"

I smirk at her. "10 hours of hardcore sex and already you fancy yourself to be in love? I admit the sex was good and that was the best blowjob I had in a long while but other than that you bore me. Just accept the fact that it will never happen again and move on."

I move to turn away. A hand grabs my arm. "Please, Sasuke!" Karin begs desperately. "Please don't leave me. I love you. I really do. I'll – I'll do anything for you!"

Like I said, some women just don't get it. "Anything?"

Her face lights up with renewed hope… and insanity. "Anything! Just say anything and I'll do it for you!"

I lean in closer to whisper in her ear coldly, "Disappear. Do you really think I – Uchiha Sasuke – would want to get involved with the likes of you? Sure, you're intelligent. But your family is poor."

Her fingers tighten on my arm. Painfully, I might add. Can't really blame her. I just insulted her family. But if you want to get rid of a clingy woman, hit her insecurities and weaknesses. It always works. "Damn you! You always were an arrogant bastard!" she says furiously.

I free myself from her grasp with a smirk.

Completely losing her temper, Karin snaps, "I wonder. You've never loved any woman and I wonder how she will feel when she discovers that all of you she will ever have is merely your body – that you have no heart!"

I did not reply; I simply turn on my heel and begin to walk away. Seems that it's more than Karin could bear. Her voice is uncomfortably clear in my ears as she cries out spitefully, "Someday, Uchiha Sasuke, I wish you meet a woman who will break your heart!"

I chuckle in amusement. I glance back at her and say mockingly, "But you just said that I have no heart!"

And that's when she throws her stilettos at me. It misses me by a considerable distance. Shrugging, I turn my back and continue walking.

What is it with women and violence? There was another chick that threw a lamp and a whole bunch of stuff at me and missed. Aside from the fact that my reflexes are exceptional, I think women in general like being violent even though they fail at it… She said I have no heart. Am I incapable of loving? I love my father, my mother and Itachi. I love my family. I kind of sort of love my friends? Maybe I can't love a woman. The kind of love my parents have. Whatever. I'm 18 years old. It will come if it comes.

I spot my friends standing under a tree in a corner of the crowded courtyard. It's just Shikamaru and Chouji. "Where's the idiot?" I ask.

"He said he'll be late," Chouji replies. He looks weird wearing a suit. "Had a misunderstanding with a bunch of assholes on the way here he said."

"Picking fights already?" I comment dryly.

"Speaking of fights," Shikamaru mumbles. He's leaning against the tree lazily. He too looks weird in a suit. "I heard about your little lovers' quarrel at the parking lot."

"How did you know about that?"

He holds up his iphone. "News travel much faster these days. You're already on the trending topics worldwide. Congrats."

"Fucking great," I curse under my breath. Nothing will improve my mood today. Not even the way the sun is shining. It also doesn't help that everyone is staring at me, pointing and screaming. Fucking fangirls.

Chouji chortles, "And to think college girls are supposed to be mature."

"Fangirls are incapable of maturity," Shikamaru mutters wryly.

Before any of these girls get the courage to approach me, I better make myself invisible. Not an easy feat since all these fangirls can pinpoint exactly where I am. It's as if they can smell me or something. "I'll go inside now. What about you?"

"Are we in kindergarten?" Shikamaru asks in annoyance. "We can find our own seats, thank you very much. But yeah, we'll go in with you."

"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Chouji teases as he throws his huge arm round my shoulders. "Fangirls bothering you?"

Shikamaru, who's walking on my right side, warns wisely, "Careful, Chouji. Our friend here is in a really bad mood. His favourite punching bag is not here yet so he might settle for us."

We take our seat on the second row. I have to be in front because as the top scorer in the entrance exam this year I have to deliver a speech. I didn't write one. There's no need. It's all in my brain. I'm used to delivering speeches now. I've been doing it since primary school. I would also get invited to some events wherein I have to talk in front of an audience. I turn them down though. It's mostly stupid awards from magazines or TV networks – Most Popular Teenager, Most Eligible Bachelor under the age of 20, Hottest Abs. Really stupid.

Slowly, the auditorium gets filled up by hundreds of students. If I wanted to, I could skip graduate school and head straight to Architecture. But then I thought, what's the hurry? Even if I spend 10 years in college or not go to college I will still have a job. And so I decided to try out graduate school and if I don't like it I'll shift to Architecture. But then I'll have to transfer to another school. I like it here in the University of Tokyo. It'll be a shame if I have to transfer but this is how they roll – 2 years of graduate school first before we specialise on anything. Also, my whole family graduated in this university so freshman year better be good.

"Where the hell are you?" Chouji asks in irritation. He's talking to Naruto on the phone. The entrance ceremony went well. Although, I doubt if any of the girls… or women really understood what I said. "We are here just outside the auditorium. No, at the front. The entrance! How can you get lost? We're just at the freaking entrance of the freaking auditorium! If you're not here in 5 minutes we'll leave you. I'm telling you, Naruto! I want to eat lunch now!"

"Let's leave the idiot behind," I suggest to them. I have no intention of hanging around here in the courtyard.

"Fine," Shikamaru sighed. "Just tell him which restaurant we're going to."

I don't know what it is but something makes me look up. As soon as I did, the sea of people parts in the middle… and there she is. My heart stops beating. Everything and everyone disappears. Her eyes are closed. Her face is turned upward, towards the ray of sun peeking through the leaves of the cherry blossom. Her long, indigo hair sways gently to the slight breeze and she opens her eyes. I feel like I'm in a music video or something. Everything is in slow motion – the way she lifts her delicate hand to keep her hair from covering her face, the graceful way she looks up. Our gazes clash. Her eyes. She's a Hyuuga. I don't know what I expect will happen as we stare at each other for hours (5 seconds). I guess I expect her to act like all girls and smile flirtatiously at me. But no, she looks away. What's more annoying is the dismissive manner in which she did that. As though I'm just an ordinary guy. I'm not an ordinary guy. I'm Uchiha fucking Sasuke. No one looks away from me. That angers me and I'm going there to show her – and she smiles. My breathing stops again. Wow… that has to be the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. A man approaches her. So she's smiling at him. The two of them share a brief hug and arms around each other, they exit the campus ground. Ah, a boyfriend. It doesn't matter. What Uchiha Sasuke wants, Uchiha Sasuke gets. And I want her. That blue-haired Hyuuga.

The smirk on my face disappears as I just realized something… Fuck, was that love at first sight?

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><p><em>October 18, 2011 - Thanks for the reviews! I'm actually having fun writing this... I changed the rating because there'll be lots of swearing from here on... ^^<em>


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER:** Er...

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><p><strong>+ NARUTO +<strong>

**THE BADASS**

_Dance Dance - Fall Out Boy_

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><p>People think that just because my hair is yellow I have a sunny, bright personality.<p>

They couldn't be more wrong. I do have bad days. Take for example, today. Today was my college entrance ceremony. I am now officially a student of the University of Tokyo, bitches. I've always known I'll get in of course but still, when I got my result, I was really excited (surprised). I've been looking forward to the entrance ceremony all week. Pressed my suit and all the night before. I had everything prepared. But my alarm clock decided to stop working. I woke up 30 minutes before the ceremony. Good thing my apartment is only 10 minutes away from Komaba Campus. Oh, but then things got interesting on the way there.

"I was struggling with my freaking necktie while walking," I tell my friends while I ravage the ramen I ordered. "Someone bumped into me and I dropped my tie. There was a dog that came out of nowhere. It took my tie and won't let go."

"So that's why your tie looked like someone ate it," Shikamaru comments. He's the only one paying attention to me. Sasuke's busy with his phone and Chouji's busy eating.

"Yeah!" I exclaim, brandishing the torn necktie. "And there's nothing even interesting with this tie! It's just an ordinary fucking tie!"

"It's orange, Naruto," Shikamaru points out dryly.

"I like orange. Anyway, so yeah, the dog won't let go. So I have to wrestle it out of its stinking mouth. But then this dude appeared trying to look cool and called me a bully. He said I'm abusing the dog!" I cry out in annoyance. "He even threatened to sue me with animal cruelty! That fucking asshole!"

We have a dog. His name is Kyuubi coz he looks like that nine-tailed fox. I love that dog. It was hard to leave him behind but my parents are taking good care of him. Point is, me? Animal cruelty?

"That's so stupid," Shikamaru says.

"I know, right? We argued about it and an officer came to investigate what the entire ruckus was all about. That was when I texted you guys that I'll be late. We explained the situation to the officer and the owner of the dog finally made an appearance. Everything went crazy from there. I argued with the owner and the asshole. The asshole was really itching to get me arrested. He only stopped when his creepy friend reminded him of the time. Turned out that those two assholes are also freshmen in the same university. I swear, if I see him again I'll beat him up and show him what cruelty really means." And to prove my point, I slam my fist on the table angrily.

"Oh, shit," Shikamaru curses quietly, he slides down his chair as low as possible. He's also panicking, "Naruto, quick! Hide me!"

I don't get it. "Huh? Why?"

"Because –"

"Shikamaru-kun!" a voice calls out. It's from a beautiful blonde. She's walking towards us with a pink-haired beauty. Nice hair…

Chouji chokes on his food as he sees them.

"Hey, Ino," Shikamaru greets hesitantly, sitting straight again. "Didn't see you at the ceremony."

"No, you didn't," the blondie returns sweetly, standing beside Shikamaru. "We were just a row behind you. Are these your friends?"

She and the pinkie are staring at Sasuke who's still busy with his phone. He can't be playing Angry Birds, right? And for some odd reason, Shikamaru looks pale. A second later he yelps in pain. Why is he so weird? "Yes, they are."

Blondie glares at Shikamaru before smiling at Sasuke. She holds out her hand, "Hi! My name is Yamanaka Ino, childhood friend of Shikamaru and Chouji. Our families go way back in some era. And this is my friend, Haruno Sakura. We know who you are, of course. You're Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke spares them an annoyed glance before standing up. "I'm leaving."

Ha! Typical Sasuke. He's such a bastard. The two girls didn't seem to mind though. In fact, they're blushing as they watch Sasuke walk away. They're even staring at him with admiration. Fangirls. Yeah, this is how a fangirl's brain cell works – never mind that he basically ignored them because he's so cool. When Sasuke's out of sight, they argued on who gets to sit in Sasuke's chair. The blondie wins.

Pathetic.

"So, Shikamaru," blondie mutters suddenly. Shikamaru and Chouji jump in surprise. "You guys are really friends with Uchiha Sasuke and you never told me? How could you? Oh, wait… you didn't tell me because you lied to me about it. You guys said that there's no way popular Uchiha Sasuke would talk to a couple of losers like you."

It's as if I'm invisible. What-the-fucking-ever. I'll just finish my ramen and then find out why Sasuke's so obsessed with his phone. It's not even the latest model.

"Look, Ino, we're not that close," Shikamaru explains.

Liar. I saw Sasuke giving him a high-five the other day. Only few people received his high-five. And, of course, I'm one of them.

"He's not even talking to us," Chouji adds.

Liar. He's not talking because he's busy with his fucking phone. Did he finally sign up on Facebook? He's got a Twitter but he rarely tweets. Social networking sites are pretty much useless for an anti-social like Sasuke… I better check. Taking my phone out, I log in on Twitter. And there it is, an update. 45 minutes ago!

'_Fuck.'_

To normal people, that was just Sasuke being in a bad mood. But I know differently. After all, I'm Uchiha Sasuke's best friend slash rival. There's definitely something bothering him. What – OUCH! I just got hit by a fucking fork!

"What the hell?" I yell.

"Oops, I'm sorry!" blondie apologizes, aghast. "I was aiming for Chouji."

"Are you blind? Do I look fat to you? Or is my hair not bright enough?"

"I already said sorry!" she snaps back.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, lady! Next time if you can't aim don't throw. You fangirls are crazy!"

"Who the hell are you?" pinkie asks in annoyance.

"Who the hell are you?" I toss back at her.

"Calm down, people," Shikamaru mutters jadedly. "He's Uzumaki Naruto. Kami, this is such a drag…"

"He should be the one you're talking to," Chouji pipes eagerly. "He's Sasuke's best friend."

The two girls look at me dubiously. "Him?" asks the blonde, looking at me with disgust. "No offence but, your table manner is far worse than Chouji's."

"And that necktie is horrid," adds the pinkie.

"Tsk, tsk… Haven't you heard of the saying 'Don't judge a book by its cover'? My mother and Sasuke's mother are bffs, fyi. We've been hanging out since we were in diapers, just so you know."

Then they start barraging me with questions.

"What's Sasuke's favourite color?"

"What's his favourite food?"

"Is Sasu-chan his real Twitter?"

"Which is his type? Long hair or short hair?"

"Does he like pink?"

"What underwear does he use? Boxers or briefs?"

"What's his phone number?"

"He doesn't have a favourite color. Only his mother knows that. Confidential. Either of the two. I don't think so. That question is disturbing. And for the last one… you don't really expect me to give his number to his fangirls now, do you?"

"But we have common friends. Right, Shikamaru?" blondie asks threateningly.

Shikamaru yelps in pain again. "Yes."

"Whatever," I shrug. "I'm going."

"Wait," pleads pinkie. "Can you help us? Tell us what to do so that Sasuke notices us."

Wow, she's got really pretty green eyes. "Sorry, I can't."

"We'll give you anything you want?" blondie offers.

I laugh with amusement. This is definitely familiar. "Me and Sasuke have been friends for a long time. We went to the same school ever since and countless girls offered me this and that. The most outrageous was this one girl in senior high. She offered to – what was it she said? Oh yeah – have sex with me in the infirmary for a week and in exchange was a lunch date with Sasuke. So what's in it for me?"

The girls are speechless.

"That's the only proposal he said yes to," Chouji informs them.

"But he never managed to get Sasuke to cooperate," says Shikamaru.

I stand up and look at the girls. "In conclusion, if Sasuke likes you he will like you. But if not, don't push your luck because he hates rabid girls."

And with that I leave Shikamaru and Chouji to deal with those two and the bills. Shame, I really think the pink-haired is quite pretty. Too bad she likes Sasuke. We didn't have sex, by the way. That girl from senior high. I was really attracted to her. Who wasn't? She was our senpai and her body was divine. Almost all the boys wanted to do her but she wanted Sasuke who didn't give a shit. And when she offered me sex… well, I did everything I could to convince the bastard. We got into a lot of fights but if that guy doesn't want to do something, nothing will change his mind.

We fight a lot, Sasuke and I. But the worst fight we ever had was over a girl. My first girlfriend, actually. I fancied myself to be in-love with her. She was the same age but from another school. The first time we met was like a scene out of those love stories or romance novels. I was on my way home one night when I heard a cry. A girl was being bullied by a bunch of juvenile morons. I came to her rescue and beat the bullies to a pulp. She was really cute. From then on, we would hang out whenever we could. We dated for three months. My life revolved around her. That's why it hurt so much when I found out that everything was a sham. I ran into one of those morons who bullied her and told me that she planned all of it. That her real target was Uchiha Sasuke. She used me to get close to him. And because life hated me, I found her and Sasuke making out on my fucking bed a few hours later. The bitch didn't even apologize. She just laughed and said we're over. I was so mad I think I literally kicked her out of my room. Sasuke apologized. He said it was nothing, that he tripped then she jumped him. Our fights are mostly physical – I beat him up, he'll beat me up. But that night I was cold. I just told him to leave. We didn't talk to each other for six months. Our mothers had to lock us up together in the freaking closet just so we could settle things between us. We vowed to never fight over a girl again.

Thinking about that once more, I lose my curiosity about Sasuke's preoccupation today. Besides, after all those shitty things that happened earlier, I want to relax. So yeah, I'll really just head home. Home, where something awaits me…

Opening the door to my one bedroom apartment, I drink in the sight that greets me – strewn clothes and trash on the floor, overflowing cups of instant ramen, leaning tower of pizza boxes. Home sweet fucking home. This is probably the best thing about college: FREEDOM. I get to do whatever I fucking want! What's that I hear?

NOTHING!

I will not hear my mother's voice yelling 'Naruto! Clean up your room!' There will be no mom to burst in my room to yell 'Get your lazy ass downstairs and help me clean! Stop playing computer games!' Guess what, Mom? That's exactly what I'm going to do right now, play online games. And I'm not planning on doing anything else in the next 10 hours. Fuck yeah, this is the life!

But as I was about to disappear in the world of pure awesomeness that is Star Craft, there's a knock on the door. The fuck is that?

"What?" I holler as I yank the door open.

Sasuke is standing there, judging me. "What the hell, Naruto? At least put some pants on when you open the door."

"It's my apartment," I shrug. He strides inside without waiting for an invitation. "If I want to walk around in just my boxers, it's nobody's business."

"What is this?" he asks as he looks around, still judging me. And my apartment.

"This is freedom."

"This is unsanitary," he says condescendingly. "The whole place is a mess and what the fuck is that smell? Clean this all up."

"Or what?" I challenge him. I'm ready for another round of wrestling match. Just let me warm up a bit…

"I'm calling your mother."

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

"There's nowhere to sit down," he complains.

I kick aside some stuff on the floor and wipe the mess on the table. "There. Now what do you want?"

"I can't fucking sit down in the middle of all these fucking shit," he snarls quietly.

He's having another panic attack. I swear, Sasuke's got a hundred disorders. And so I clean up my own place. Because my guest demanded me to clean. I can tell he wants something because he would have left the moment he saw me only wearing boxers. He waits by the door as I clean. The bastard even tells me to vacuum the fucking floor.

"I don't have a vacuum, you bastard!"

"Fine," he snaps, pulling out a tissue pack from his man-purse and wipes the floor. He's such a girl. "How's the internet connection here?"

"Fast," I reply, joining him on the table. "Why?"

"You have a Facebook, right?"

Why is he so weird today? "Yeah. Why?"

"Log in," he orders like the arrogant bastard he is. He brings out his Mac.

"Why?" I ask suspiciously.

"I have to check something," he answers vaguely.

I log in on my Facebook account. I watch Sasuke as he navigates around. He types Hyuuga Hinata on the search bar. Who's that? "Who's Hyuuga Hinata?"

"Why is her profile pic a lion?" Sasuke asks in bewilderment.

"It's the Gryffindor crest, Sasuke," I point out to him in exasperation. I really hate it when people get the terms wrong. Like this one girl in the cinema who said, 'Why did Harry destroy the stick?' It's wand, people! WAND! "Huh? We have a common friend… click that… Rock Lee? Oh! Bushy Brow! I met him in Judo camp last summer."

"Why is there no picture?" Sasuke mutters with growing annoyance. He's scrolling down her wall.

"Go back up and click photos,"

I glance at Sasuke… turn back on the computer screen… then stare at him. He's smiling. There's actually a smile on his face. Well, it's not really a _smile_ smile. You know, teeth and all. It's more like… a small smile. He's smiling at the picture of a cute girl with blue hair. And then, lo and behold, he saves it. I never thought that Sasuke will actually… "Are you stalking her?"

He ignores me and continues viewing Hyuuga Hinata's pictures. He saves all of them. Well, those with only her in it and it seem that there are more group pics than solo shots of her. She's got a lot of solo shots in her graduation album though. Sasuke's saving them like crazy.

"Hey, that's Shikamaru and Chouji's friend," I mention curiously. This group of friends is really colourful – yellow, pink and blue. "Those two girls you snubbed in the restaurant earlier. Maybe you can ask them for her number… or not. They're fangirls. They ask me your number. Of course I didn't give it – Wait!" I exclaim as I take a good look at a pic Sasuke's been glaring at. "That's the asshole who accused me of animal cruelty this morning! What's his name?" I read the caption.

'_Hyuuga Hinata with Inuzuka Kiba on the album We Passed!'_

"Inuzuka Kiba? That sounds familiar… Inuzuka… Holy shit! That's the name of Kyuubi's veterinarian!" I can't fucking believe it! There's no way they're related. Doctor Hana is sweet and kind and amazing. Whereas that asshole is an idiot. Argh, my day is ruined again! Fuck this!

"That's the guy she hugged outside the auditorium," Sasuke mumbles quietly, clicking one picture after the other furiously. He didn't seem to want to see their smiling faces.

"Do you think they're dating?"

"I don't care."

"Do you like her?"

He pauses before answering, "I don't know."

I think he likes her. He just doesn't know what to do. He never liked anyone before. This is the first time he's been this interested about a girl. I'd like to help him but… Sasuke being Sasuke… I'm sure he won't have any trouble with Hyuuga Hinata. Who can say no to Uchiha Sasuke?

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><p><em>October 25, 2011 - Wish there was Facebook in 1999. It would have been amazing to stalk my first love *sigh* Kids these days are so lucky...<em>

_After writing chapter 2, Naruto started screaming in my head, 'WRITE ME! WRITE ME!' so yeah, here he is LOL! I didn't intend to write other characters' POVs but when they start talking to me I had no choice but to write them, hehe..._

_Thanks for the reviews! I did say the updates are going to be slow. Right? Right... *scratches head*_


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Naruto. If I do, no break next week.

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><p><strong>+ TENTEN +<strong>

**AN ORDINARY PERSON**

_Independent Woman - Destiny's Child_

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><p>My roommate has this notion that she's a nobody and I'm like, 'Are you serious?' She's a Hyuuga, one of the richest families in Japan and Asia. She's not just any Hyuuga either. She's the eldest daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi, head of the Hyuuga Group – one of Asia's most diversified firms with interests in agriculture, real estate, and financial services, to name a few. They are filthy rich. Their family is also distant relatives of the imperial family. She is definitely a somebody.<p>

My name is Tenten. Just Tenten. I don't have a last name. I was born in the orphanage. My biological mother came knocking on the door one night. She was already on labor. But before she could give her name to the nuns, she died. The only word she said was Tenten. And so the nuns named me Tenten. I know it should be heart-warming and touching that my bio mom was at least able to name me but for all I know she must've been about to say something else. I mean, it might not be Tenten but 10-10. As in the number 10. She was probably struggling to give an address or a phone number or something. She didn't have any I.D with her. Anyway, after that the nuns waited for someone to look for her. They also went to police stations to ask if there's someone looking for a missing person. But they never found out anything.

Do I resent my parents? No, I don't. Everything happens for a reason. My mother, whoever she was, didn't abandon me. She didn't choose to die and leave her newborn child to strangers. As for my father, I couldn't care less. I'm sure I have a father but I don't know. Maybe I will never meet him or find out anything about him. Which is fine with me. I'm now 20 years old. Old enough not to yearn for a father.

I grew up well. The nuns raised me. They didn't put me up for adoption because I caused too much trouble. They even joked that whoever adopted me would just return me back the next day. I'm really glad they kept me, though. I love them. They're very supportive of everything I do. They give the best advices and guidance ever. Now, just because I grew up with nuns you'd think I'm a good girl. I'm not a bad girl but I do like to have fun.

"What happened?" Hinata asks from the doorway. I didn't notice her arrival.

"Hey," I greet her. I laid out all my clothes in our tiny living room and it looked like a war zone. "I'm looking for something to wear tonight. How's your class?"

Hinata collapses down the floor and sighs tiredly. "It was okay. You're going out?"

"We are going out," I correct slyly. "There's this party the sophomores is throwing for the freshmen. You're coming too."

"I don't know," Hinata mutters tiredly, picking up random clothes.

"It's Saturday night," I point out to her. "It's not normal for an 18 year old to stay at home, cooking and washing dishes."

"I'm 17."

"See? And you're already practicing for housewife of the year. Besides, it's only been a week. You can't have that much homework."

"If you don't have a class with Professor Terror."

"Ugh, I hate him. Worst professor to have on your freshman year."

"Two classes with him and my brain already suffered massive bleeding."

"It's because he's called Professor Terror. He terrorizes the students. But enough of that… what do you think of this? Sexy or too desperate?" She scrutinizes carefully the dress I'm holding up. Hinata may not be the most fashionable girl but I do like her style. The I-was-in-a-hurry-so-I-just-put-on-the-first-thing-I-got-my-hands-on style.

"Sexy," she responds. "Is there a dress code?"

"None… just don't go naked," I wink at her teasingly and she goes red in an instant. I love making her blush. She's just too cute. No, I'm not a lesbian. It's just, I never met anyone who blushes as much as Hinata. Even the nuns in the orphanage don't blush. "So you're going?"

"Do I have a choice? I'll go change."

"Sweet! We leave in an hour."

Before she could go to her room, her phone rings. She glances at me first then answers it. "Yes, niisan…"

I gather up all my clothes from the floor and hurriedly go inside my room.

Neji… It's not easy moving on from a bad break-up if your ex-boyfriend's cousin is your roommate. We were still together when I agreed to this arrangement. But when we broke up, I can't just leave Hinata on her own. She's the only person from his family that I really like and who likes me too. The rest of his family… they condemn me for being an orphan. I can't say that I'm from this family or that family. I'm poor. And that's a great insult to them.

Bullshit.

I'm proud of who I am and of everything that I have accomplished so far. I work hard just to get where I am now. I'm a scholar and an athlete of the University of Tokyo. In the morning I study. At night I work to make ends meet. Sometimes I would struggle between two part-time jobs. I will not take anymore bullshit from those born with silver spoons in their mouths. I had enough of them. I will never let them make me feel like I'm the lowest person. And I have no intention of being the star of this soap opera. I don't even watch soap operas.

"Tenten-chan?" Hinata's soft voice outside shakes me out of stupor. "Are you ready yet?"

"Almost," I call back to her. I'm doing finishing touches on my makeup. "Come in."

The door slides open and I'm surprised to see the girl staring back at me through the mirror. Hinata's wearing a black tank top and skinny purple jeans. Her long blue hair is on a high ponytail. Her complexion is really smooth and clear and milky white. She doesn't normally wear makeup but tonight… the dark, smoky eyes are stunning. Is this really Hinata? What happened to girly skirts and cute shirts?

"Are you a closet wild child or something?" I ask her smilingly. I've known her for 3 years but not that well. I only saw her when Neji and I went to their place (I wasn't welcome in Neji's house). I didn't know what to think of her at first. She was really quiet and reserved but I didn't sense any hostility and arrogance from her like I did with her relatives.

Hinata smiles shyly and blushes. Now that's the Hinata I know. "I guess… Niisan asked about you."

"Next time tell him to stop asking about me," I murmur quietly. I wish she'd stop mentioning her cousin. Thankfully, she's really perceptive so she refrained to elaborate more on her conversation with Neji. "Ever been to a party before?"

"Yes, twice," she replies, sitting on my bed.

"You got caught?" Hinata's father is cold and very, very strict. I met him once. He ignored me. Damn, he even ignored his own daughter. Neji, Hinata and I were in their living room. We wanted to invite Hinata to come with us on a weekend trip to the beach. She wasn't granted permission by Mr. Douchebag who didn't even let his daughter talk. Poor Hinata had her head bent meekly the whole time. Neji told me she wasn't allowed to go out with her friends but his uncle trusted him. Neji was surprised that he was rejected by his uncle. I think the fact that I was going with them didn't sit well with Mr. Douchebag.

"I've learned the art of sneaking," Hinata shrugs. "I almost got caught the first time, though. I was really nervous I wasn't stealthy enough."

"It always happens on your first attempt. I had a close call too, the first time I sneaked out of the orphanage. Do you drink?"

"Eh? No, I don't."

"You could try tonight."

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not? You're living on your own now. You won't be sneaking back in. You have every right to get drunk."

She laughs. "I don't think it's a good idea for me to get drunk, either."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll manage it. And if not, I'm here for you."

She just gives me that small, soft smile she uses whenever she feels awkward. She's really different and unlike the rich people I've come across. We've been living together for three weeks now and the first thing I discovered about her is that she can be quite the slob. I caught a glimpse of her bedroom when she was rushing out one morning. Her room is disaster area – unmade bed, clothes everywhere. Like a tornado struck. I think she's the tornado. Seriously. Every morning she wakes up running and jumping around because she's late. Alarm clocks are wasted on her. Good thing our apartment is near the campus. I find it extremely amusing. Maybe she feels liberated or something because her bedroom in their house was squeaky clean. Well, she's got servants cleaning after her, I suppose.

It's really small, our apartment. Hinata's bedroom in the Hyuuga mansion is bigger than the whole place. Her closet is even bigger than our bathroom. Aside from it being the size of a matchbox, it's also very expensive. All the apartments near the campus are. I would normally steer clear of apartments like this but since Hinata pays 50% of the rent, electricity and water bills, I couldn't say no. It's not that I'm taking advantage of her generosity – I did object at first, of course – but college is really expensive. I can't juggle two part-time jobs anymore because the course works are more gruelling in sophomore year and judo trainings are always intense. So if I want to survive college I have to swallow my pride.

And in payment for Hinata's help, I will be her mentor and protector. She's been sheltered all her life. I think it'll be a bit of a shock, trying to find yourself in the real world. But then again, looking at her now, she might not be as vulnerable as I think.

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><p><em>November 11, 2011 – (11-11-11) LOL! Yeah, I did it on purpose… I definitely had a hard time writing Tenten. I don't see her that much in the manga and the anime but based on what we saw of her from Naruto Part I, she's fierce. I don't know where I'm going with her or if I want to write her and Neji's story. I'm not a NejiTen shipper, hehe. But, we'll see… we'll see…<em>

_Another thing… No, Naruto will not fall for Hinata. He said so himself last chapter – he and Sasuke will not fight over a girl again ^^_

_Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming! ^^_


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: **Blah, blah, blah...

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><p><strong>+ SASUKE +<strong>

**OH NO, YOU DIDN'T**

_You Know I'm No Good - Amy Winehouse_

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><p>I'm fucking pissed off.<p>

It's been five days. What the fuck… Komaba Campus is not that big at all so why in the fucking hell have I not run into her by now? Or even see her? How the fuck should I know if this is real? Whatever 'this' is. All I know is that I can't stop thinking about her. What is it about her anyway? Was it her elephant-printed shirt? Or her pale turquoise, knee-length flowy skirt? Maybe it was her face – big eyes, elegant eyebrows, cute little nose, luscious lips. And she's got really nice skin. I think. In the pictures, her skin looks really smooth. I should know. I've taken to staring at her pictures all the time. It's become a hobby, actually. Staring at her pictures. Naruto's starting to pity me. He already offered help eight times. Tempted though I am to have her number as soon as possible, I can't accept help. I'm Uchiha fucking Sasuke. Why would I seek assistance? From Naruto, no less.

So what's wrong? Why haven't I seen her yet? This is not how it's supposed to work. I don't know how it's supposed to fucking work but all this waiting is making me nuts. And of course I can't dismiss the fact that she most certainly did not experience love at first sight. I sound like a really crazy person.

I don't believe in love at first sight. However, there is a legend among the Uchiha men that we will find our one true love by _love at first sight_. I remember hearing one of the elders telling stories about that curious phenomenon. I was six, the first and last time I listened to that crappy legend. Every year the entire Uchiha clan have this grand reunion and we would all get together in one of the elders' house. I wanted to go with Itachi and the rest of our older cousins but my mother pushed me inside a room with the rest of the children, mostly girls and some boys who had the same misfortune as I did. They were listening to Granny telling a story about the Uchiha's secret – _love at first sight_. It started with our great ancestor, Uchiha Madara. He was a formidable warrior. Men feared him. He was a ruthless, cold-blooded murderer. But he was an honourable and loyal man towards his friends. His friendship with another great man – Senju Hashirama – was well-known. According to history books, the two best friends had a fall-out which resulted to the legendary battle on the fabled Valley of Death. However, according to Granny, the information on the books lacked details. And that only their respected families knew of the reason behind that battle. Apparently, Great Grandpa Madara fell in love with Senju Hashirama's distant relative and fiancée Uzumaki Mito. That was when I learned how to roll my eyes. Them starting a war over a girl was really stupid, I thought. So I sneaked out and didn't hear the rest of the story. _"That was the Uchiha's secret? No wonder they kept it secret. They wouldn't want the rest of the world to know that the great clan are a bunch of sappy, romantic fools,"_ I bitched to Itachi afterwards. Despite numerous evidences over the past century – my parents, included – that _'love at first sight'_ is real, I remained sceptical.

But now… I don't know if this is 'love' at first sight. I think it's merely attraction since she didn't feel the same. Which can be remedied once she sees me, of course. She might not have seen me that well outside the auditorium. I think she's near-sighted. Fuck that rumor about the Hyuuga clan having 20/20 vision for the rest of their lives.

Speaking of rumor, Hinata had her fair share of them. I read quite a lot. It kept me busy throughout that stupid lunch last Monday. Some of them were the usual crap – '_Hyuuga Hinata, Thrown Out of the Mansion! Is the pregnancy rumor true?' 'Hyuuga Heiress and the Crown Prince, Dating?' 'The Elusive Heiress spotted in a Tattoo Salon!'_ – and some were actual news – _'Failed Kidnap Attempt on Hyuuga Hiashi's Three-Year-Old Daughter!' 'Hyuuga Hiashi and Wife to Divorce!' 'Heiress, 13, Injured in a Car Crash!' 'Hyuuga Hiashi To Fly Abroad For A Week-long Business Trip While Daughter Is In Hospital.' 'Hyuuga Statement: She is fine.' 'Hyuuga Hiashi's Ex-Wife Ties Knot For The Third Time!' _

Being an Uchiha, I know better than to believe all the shit that the newspapers come up with but sometimes they do provide useful information. The kidnap attempt on Hinata is insignificant. She was three. I doubt if she can remember it. The articles about her accident 4 years ago, on the other hand, gave me plenty of information about her – her parents are divorced, her father was granted sole custody of her and her younger sister, she's not close with either of her parents (who leaves the country 4 hours after their daughter met an accident?). There's nothing about lil' sis in the news at all but I think it's safe to presume that they're close. How can they not be close? There's just the two of them and they're girls. Another juicy tidbit, Hinata moved out of the house. That means she's living somewhere on her own.

Awesome.

It's perfect. During breaks or weekends we'll ask each other, 'Your place or my place?' and we won't have to worry about meddlesome family members. Ah, the things we will do together… to each other…

"What's so funny?" an annoying voice asks. Naruto's standing in the middle of my living room, munching on an apple and looking at me curiously. The idiot just shows up in here and eats my food. I'm changing my password.

"You are," I answer, tossing my iPad on the table. I've been keeping an eye out on Hinata's Facebook for her whereabouts. Fuck, what have I become? "Why are you here?"

Naruto sits down comfortably on the couch. As though he lives here. "Did you forget? There's a party tonight."

"I'm not going."

"Come on, man! It's Saturday night! The first Saturday night of our freshman year! Time to loosen up, you bastard. What are you going to do here? Stare at her pictures all night? Wait for her to post a status update saying, 'Off to Starbucks to get my daily caffeine fix' and then you're going to run off to all the Starbucks branch in the campus to see if she's actually in one of them?"

"Shut the fuck up," I growl at him because fuck, he's probably right. I'm behaving like a lovesick fool it's pathetic. "For your information, I just finished my chemistry homework and I planned on spending the whole night on the couch watching James Bond but since you're already here… where is this party?"

He grins like the Cheshire cat. "In Roppongi. I was right, wasn't I?"

"Shut up."

"Aw, you're pouting!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

I throw something at him, the first thing I got my hand on – a throw pillow. It hit him squarely in the face but the idiot just keeps on laughing. I have to restrain myself from throwing a vase at him lest we end up spending Saturday night in a hospital instead of in that party. Grabbing my iPad, I leave to get changed. Once inside my bedroom I couldn't help but check her Facebook again. Still nothing. Her last update was over a month ago. I fling the iPad on the bed angrily. What's the point of having a social network account when you barely update? In truth, I can find out her whereabouts and schedule if I want to. I have a private investigator relative. What's stopping me? I don't know. It's just that, it wouldn't feel right and it's borderline stalker-ish. I'm not some creepy fanboy… Kami, I am a fanboy. I shudder in disgust.

Fucking great.

In 2 minutes I'm done. I just threw on clean shirt and jeans. It wouldn't matter if I wear a garbage bag. Girls will still throw themselves at me. "Let's go."

"You okay?" Naruto asks as he sits straight. He narrows his eyes at me suspiciously. "You look like you're going to beat the crap out of someone." I say nothing and head for the door. Naruto follows, skipping in excitement. "Lots of senpai are going to be there! And the foreign students, of course. I saw this really hot Italian chick the other day. I wonder if she'll be there."

Naruto drones on and on all the way to the night club in Roppongi. Perfect location. I have a condo unit in Roppongi Hills and I intend on getting some action tonight. It seems that fate has other plans. Fuck fate. I'm not going to wait around waiting for fate to make the move. If I see her again, good. If not, then damn it. I'll do what I always do. Screw around.

The moment Naruto and I walk inside the club; women's eyes are on me. The place is packed and noisy. Is the rest of the student population of the university turned up here? A few people I probably should know who call out my name. I ignore them to go straight for the bar. I need a drink. Naruto disappears from my side. He must've seen that girl he was talking about or someone else. That idiot… almost 18 years old and still a virgin. He's all talk and no action. Yeah, well, I did ruin his chance of popping his cherry when that bitch he called girlfriend jumped me.

I wasn't quite finished with my first glass of martini when a long-legged, big-busted blonde moves smoothly on my right side. She looks like a model. She stares at me, her light blue eyes sparkling with interest. "I didn't know you'd be here, Uchiha Sasuke," she says loudly.

"Clearly, you know nothing." I mutter loudly as well. This fucking place is so noisy. I swivel the stool to face her. Her face is pleasant enough to look at. She'll do.

"Had I known you'd be here I would've dressed more…" she scrunches up her face as she search for the right word in her head.

Poor thing have limited vocabulary. "Revealing?" I suggest, looking pointedly at her generous cleavage.

She throws her head back and laughs. "You're funny!"

Smirking, I signal for another drink. The bimbo missed out the sarcasm in there. "And give one to this lady here," I tell the bartender. As she takes her order, something catches my attention from behind me.

"… Hinata! Just one shot! Come on!"

I become still. Hardly breathing. It can't be.

"I-I'm not sure about this," a soft voice replies.

"If you get drunk I'm here. I won't leave you alone, promise!"

I turn my head slowly. Next to me is a brunette and she's talking to… her. Hyuuga Hinata. After 5 fucking days I finally see her again. And she's just a stool away from me on the bar. But she looks different. She looks sexy and provocative in just a tank top and tight jeans. She's wearing makeup too. If I didn't hear her name I wouldn't have known it's her. Scratch that. I will still recognize her because of her eyes and her fringe. That fringe that frames her face beautifully. She faces her companion and reaches out for the drink. Damn. Her breasts are not that small and not that big either. They're perfect. Is it possible for someone to have a skin as flawless as hers? She's so fucking perfect.

"Just one, o-okay?" she gulps down the drink bravely. Her companion cheers her on while I stare at her graceful neck. Fuck, that neck is screaming for me to bite it. She has this disgusted look on her face as she finished drinking. She looks like she's going to throw up. She barfs instead. For some odd reason, I find myself smiling like an idiot. That smile gets wiped off as she demands another shot.

"One more!" she giggles. She's really cute when she smiles.

"That's what I'm talking about!" her companion exclaims approvingly and gives her another shot. What is this girl thinking? Hinata is obviously already tipsy.

I'm about to intervene when a hand lands on my shoulder. "Sasuke-kun, did you hear what I said?"

Oh, right. That bimbo. I remove her hand. "Don't touch me. Get lost."

"But, Sasuke-kun!"

"I said get lost."

"Asshole," she says as she leaves with an angry pout.

Turning around to face the twosome, I'm surprised to see them gone. I look around the club. They're heading for the dance floor. I heave a sigh of relief. For a moment there I thought I lost that chance of talking to her. I watch her as she dances to the music of Amy Winehouse. I'm mesmerized by every sway of her hips. I want to put my hands on those hips, that waist, those curves. I want to lick that neck, perhaps do more than lick. I want to touch her. I want to kiss her. In my state of daze, I didn't fail to notice other men staring at her. How dare they stare at what is mine? The next thing I know, I'm on my feet and walking towards her. The crowd parts to give way. And then I'm right behind her. She's small, her head barely reaching my chin. I move closer to smell her hair. It smells really nice. I put my arm round her waist and pulled her against me. I hear her gasp. I lay my right hand on her arm. So soft.

"You're mine," I whisper to her ear.

She goes rigid. And then she steps on my foot with all her strength. I move away because dammit, it hurt. But I didn't show that it hurt. More than anything, I'm surprised with her reaction. And she isn't done with surprises. She punches me. Hard. On the face. What happened with good old slap?

"Pervert!" she screams angrily, eyes glistening with tears and her face is red. She storms off the dance floor.

I'm shocked. Did she just…? I touch my face gingerly. She did. A little person like her can throw a punch, that's for sure. And then I notice the stillness and the hushed silence in the night club. I look up. Everyone's gaping in shock. I glare and some had the decency to look away. I notice a movement by the exit. She's escaping, huh? She should know better than to humiliate me, the Uchiha fucking Sasuke.

I make my way through the dumbstruck crowd. I hear someone whisper, "She is so dead." Idiots.

"Sasuke!" Naruto materializes right in front of me, anxious. "Don't."

With my eyes fixed on her retreating figure, I shove Naruto out of the way. I must've shoved him forcefully because I hear a crash. I didn't look back. I keep on walking. She's leaning against the wall when I burst out the door. She jumps in surprise as she sees me. In two strides, I'm in front of her. I grab her arm.

"Why did you do that? Do you know who I am?"

She twists her arm in an attempt to escape. I tighten my hold on her. "I don't care who you are. Let go of me!"

"Why did you do that?" I repeat quietly. She's shaking. From cold or fear, I don't know. She raises her other hand and I seize it. "You were lucky enough to hit me once. You will never strike me again, sweetheart."

Her eyes widen. "You really are a sick pervert. Let go."

I scowl. "That's the second time you called me by that revolting word." I murmur, leaning closer. "And no, I will not let go. Never."

Our mouths are just a few centimetres apart when I'm suddenly pulled away from her. I stagger slightly. I face my assailant who's looking at me impassively. There are two of them. Both bearing the Hyuuga eyes.

"Is everything alright, Hinata-sama?" one of them asks.

Bodyguards. Of course. Hinata looks surprised to see these two but she composes her face like a typical Hyuuga. But I can see that she's not very good at it.

"Fine," she answers, lowering her eyes. Even though it's quite dark here outside, I can tell she's blushing.

The door bursts open and Naruto comes out with Hinata's companion. They take in the scene before them worriedly. "We were just talking," I mutter. Hinata looks up at me and I smirk. From the corner of my eye, Bodyguard No. 1 glares at me.

"Tenten-chan, I'm leaving."

The girl named Tenten nods her head. "Sure. I'll be home late. Don't wait up."

I watch her leave with her bodyguards in tow. The night turned out to be pretty interesting. Fuck fate. I will have your schedule by tomorrow, Hyuuga Hinata.

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><p><em>December 27, 2011 – In which Sasuke turns into a full-fledged stalker, lol! Thank you so much for the reviews! I really appreciate it! Hope you all like this chapter… ^^<em>

_HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!_


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Naruto. Naruto will OWN! Yeah!

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><p><strong>+ HINATA +<strong>

**BRIGHTER THAN SUNSHINE**

_Better Days – Goo Goo Dolls_

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><p>I've become an overnight celebrity.<p>

Well… not really. At least not the sort of celebrity everyone fawns over with admiration. I think I fall into the wanna-be-celebrity-who-punched-an-A-list Star-just-to-be-noticed category. In short, I'm the most hated person in the campus right now. I suppose it's a good thing that everyone doesn't know who I am. Not yet anyway. No one recognized me. Kami loves me. For now, at least. There are only two people who knew that the girl who punched the universally-loved Uchiha Sasuke was me, Hyuuga Hinata.

Am I doomed? I'm more nervous over the fact that I punched a schoolmate rather than who it was that I punched, to be honest. I really had no idea it was Uchiha Sasuke. And I don't care either. He groped me. It was his fault. He had it coming for harassing me. But instead of looking apologetic, he had the gall to smirk. As though it was normal to just grope a girl you never met. Maybe he's used to treating women like that. Tenten-chan told me about how he hooks up on a daily basis. It was Tenten-chan who enlightened me with his identity the next day. I spilled the milk I was drinking. I wondered why my immediate reaction was guilt and after a few moments I remembered why I felt guilty. Ino and Sakura. I can't even imagine what will happen if they find out that their Sasuke-kun was interested in me that night. I'm positive Tenten-chan will never tell anyone. Ino-chan and Sakura-chan weren't there in that club (they were busy tailing Nara Shikamaru for some reason) and they need never know.

However, the whole school's curiosity was not to be dismissed. Yesterday the whole punching incident was on the front page of the school paper and the university's official internet forum site. Someone took a photo. Someone behind me, thank goodness. No one knew who I was and because of the club's lighting and heavy eye make-up, no one saw my eyes properly. I was checking out the club I'm planning on joining and I couldn't help but check the gossip thread. The hottest topic being, 'Who punched Uchiha Sasuke?' I was scared that someone did recognize me so I had to check.

Big mistake.

There were no posts guessing my identity at all. The thread was full of death threats:

_Whoever she was, I wish she dies in a fire! How dare you punch Uchiha Sasuke?_

_Yeah she better hide coz when I see her I'll rip her hair off! Bitch._

_I hope that fucking bitch dies. What a retard._

_I don't give a fuck who she was! Stay away from my Sasuke-kun, you fucking dumb bitch!_

_Whoever you are, you're pathetic. Punching Uchiha Sasuke won't make you popular. Just go throw yourself off a building, loser!_

So yeah. I feel like a celebrity with thousands of devoted haters. Am I scared of them? No, I don't think so because 1. You have to be a genius to figure out that a nobody loser like me was in that party 2. My family is quite influential and 3. I have bodyguards… which is ironically thanks to the Uchiha that I found out that they're still dogging me. I thought that when I moved out of the house, my protection team won't be needed anymore. Apparently I'm wrong.

I was so embarrassed when they saw me. The previous times that I sneaked out I managed to hoodwink them. They didn't see me dressed up like a party girl on her night out. Then of course I couldn't help but worry that they would report to my father where I've been, what I've been doing and what happened. I tried to explain to them but I could barely utter a proper sentence. They intimidate me. They were trained to be invisible. They're there behind you, watching over you. However, they can't interact with you and you can't interact with them. They can't even tell you their names. But expect them to materialize in times of trouble. I never did find out the names of those bodyguards who pulled me out of that wrecked car. I know them by appearance only and those two were the guys who showed up that night. I'm guessing that they've been my security for a long time but because I don't know their names I feel uncomfortable and awkward around them. Especially that night when they took me back to my apartment. I stuttered out my explanation but the older of the two – I call him Left. I remember seeing that he's always the one driving their car. I call the younger one Right – cut me off. He said, 'You are a teenager, Hinata-sama'. His tone was really serious that I don't know if he meant to reassure me. I wish he smiled…

I can do with something positive right now. I look at the window. It's bright behind the curtain. The weather is mocking me. I wish I slept well so that I can appreciate the sun shining this early morning. And I wish I stop saying I wish. Sighing, I get out from the bed and prepare for war gloomily. I mean school. Kami, I hate insomnia. I should have a shirt with a sign saying 'Sleep-deprived. In a foul mood. Stay away.' Maybe I should ask Kurenai-san for sleeping pills. I hate pills. Or any medication, for that matter. I'm sick of taking them. I had to swallow pain-relievers for months. I've had enough.

"Gloomy much?" Tenten asks cheerfully when I come out of the bedroom. She's already having breakfast.

"Didn't get enough sleep," I explain, getting milk.

"You worry too much."

I shrug. "Fangirls want me dead."

"They don't know who you are, though."

"It's only a matter of time," I mumble miserably.

I've always been pessimistic. Hard not to when your whole life was full of disappointments. Before my parents' divorce, especially. They were always busy with this or that. They couldn't spare even 5 minutes of their time to just show up in my school for presentations or festivals. I've come to really dread Family Day. I was always that kid left in a corner while all my classmates and their parents participated in games. I remember crying about it in the bathroom. My mother would scold me if she knew I cried in front of a lot of people. A Hyuuga can't show her tears in public. That was what she said all the time.

Then there's me. I'm a disappointment myself since the moment I was born. I was supposed to be a male, the heir. My dear mother never let me forget that. And when she was done blaming me for not being born a male, she would remind me every time to behave like a proper lady. I hate talking to my mother over the phone. She called last night and she made my insomnia worsen and my mood to drop even lower. It's worse when we're face-to-face but the distance didn't keep her voice from dripping with sarcasm and her tone any less condescending. Why call when all you have to say is, 'You're wasting time studying. Just marry one of your father's business associate. Then maybe I'll know I didn't waste 10 hours in labour with you', right? Sometimes I wish I can just go somewhere as far away as possible. But for now that little apartment will do.

I screech to a halt when I arrive at the corner of bldg. 13 which is in front of bldg. 6 where I have my 7:30 AM class. He turns his head and I retreat behind bldg. 13, dragging my bike stupidly. What the hell is Uchiha Sasuke doing at the entrance of bldg. 6? I peek around. It looks like he's not there to appreciate the view or to hang out at the steps. Why would he hang out there at… 7:20 in the morning? I never saw him there before. But then again, I don't usually pay any attention to anyone at this hour. I'm a zombie in my morning classes. Unless… unless he's waiting for me? I peek again. He's pacing, checking his watch every now and then impatiently. And that's when I notice the bruise on his face. Kami… did I hit him that hard? Is that why he's here? Gosh, he knows who I am. He saw my eyes and heard Left say my name that night. I check my watch. 7:23. I am sooo gonna be late! But, but… there's no way he'll recognize me, right? I'm not wearing makeup, my hair is down, and my clothes are drab. He won't recognize me. Oh, but he's an Uchiha. Their eyes are like a hawk's.

And the solution comes to me. The back entrance. I mount my bike, carefully folding my long skirt and speed ahead when I was sure Uchiha's looking at the opposite direction. With only 2 minutes to go before my class, I run up the stairs, the corridor, through the open door and straight to Love's lap.

Love… That guy with heavy man-liner and that tattoo on his forehead and those really cold blue/green eyes that's glaring at me now.

"U-uhm…" I stutter while catching my breath. For some odd reason I can't stand up. Worst, my hand is clutching his shoulder. "I-I… w-w-wrong classroom?"

"No," Love mutters seriously. "Wrong chair. Get off."

He pushes me off him. Not a gentleman, this one. I stumble a bit but didn't fall. My legs are shaking like crazy. "So-sorry… I d-didn't m-mean to."

He ignores me and scowled at the front. I just noticed that everyone's sniggering. Mustering a weak smile, I hobble to the opposite side of the room and sit down tiredly. I ran up to the fifth floor. How in the world did I end up running straight to Love's lap? He sits at the back, by the window. I ran straight to him? What is wrong with me… I'm sweaty, trembling, and trying to catch my breath. I'm out of shape.

Someone thumps me on the shoulder with a book. Hard. "Hey."

"Ouch, Kiba." I exclaim, rubbing the spot. "That hurt."

"You okay?" he asks, grinning as he takes his usual spot next to me.

"You just hit me with a book," I answer mournfully.

"Sorry 'bout that," he apologizes, still grinning like an idiot. "You know me." Only too well. "So what's up with you and pop star?"

I glance at the catatonic guy by the window. "He's not a pop star. He sings in a club."

"Yeah, whatever. So what's up with you? I saw you running as if the devil's after you."

The devil… Uchiha Sasuke definitely looked devilish with his all-black attire. Turning to Kiba, I whisper breathlessly, "I have something to tell you but you have to swear that you won't tell anyone. Except Shino. Shino is fine."

But then the professor arrives and we have to converse as quietly as possible. Not that it matters. The professor is old and oblivious. After I tell Kiba everything that happened since Saturday night, he snorts. Then he guffaws.

"Shush!" I warn him desperately. A few people have turned in their seats to look at us. The professor ignores us, though. "Kiba…"

Kiba slumps on his desk and his shoulders are shaking with laughter. I suddenly have this strong urge to cry… or strangle him… or both… at the same time. He then lifts his head, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "You… You punched Uchiha Sasuke? The Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Quiet!" I hiss at him, looking around to see if someone overheard. They're all busy doing their things. "If someone hears I'm dead."

"Who?"

"His fangirls. They're rabid, Kiba. You should see the threats on the forums. It's scary."

Kiba looks at me as though I lost my mind. "What are you so scared of? You punched Uchiha Sasuke himself. Surely you'll be able to kick some fangirl's ass."

"Uchiha had it coming. He groped me," I demonstrate the way Uchiha groped me from behind in the air. "Like this."

He frowns at that and flexes his knuckles threateningly. "Want me to deal with him now? Bet he's still down there."

Ah, typical Kiba… "If he's still down there. You're already in trouble for fighting yesterday," I remind him.

He messes up his already messy hair in annoyance. "Argh! Don't remind me. That fucking idiotic blond. It wasn't my fault. I told you that. Damn it, I wanna beat him so bad he won't be able to open that big mouth of his ever again. He called me… did you know what he called me?"

"Dogbreath," I reply solemnly. I watch as Kiba starts growling, tearing his poor notebook apart and muttering curses. Whoever that blond is must have been something to have Kiba this worked up. He is positively bursting from infuriation. I rescue his poor notebook. "Think of the trees, Kiba."

He resorts to biting his pen instead. It breaks in half after a few seconds. I sigh helplessly. My old childhood friend has always been hot-headed. He was always involved in brawls during high school. When he and Shino visited me some weekends, bruises covered him from head to toe. Shino blamed his big mouth. Kiba liked to boast that he's the alpha male in his pack. Hinata never found it in her heart to tell him that it was only a pack of dogs. People think he's a leader of some gang when really, it's just 5 dogs. All of which are easy to bribe with a piece of treat.

When the class finally comes to an end, I cling shamelessly to Kiba's arm. "What if he's still down there?" I ask him nervously.

"Then punch him again," he answers as though stating the obvious.

"Obviously, I can't do that again. Especially not inside the campus. I not only have to worry about rabid fangirls, but my father too. What do you think will happen if he gets a memo from the Administrative Office saying they apprehended me for violence? They all think I'm crazy."

Kiba laughs… as if my inner struggles are subjects of amusement for him. "You're not crazy. You're paranoid." He pats my hand gently. "Okay, I'll go with you. If he's still down there, let's take the back exit."

Kiba's right. I was being paranoid. The Uchiha is nowhere in sight. And I hope he stays that way. "Thank you, Kiba."

"Hey, what are friends for?" he says, messing up my hair. Sometimes I think he thinks I'm a dog. "Did I promise you lunch?"

"Breakfast. You promised me breakfast," We sometimes eat breakfast together after our 7:30 class because we have a free period after it. "Yesterday you said we'd eat breakfast."

"Damn! I totally forgot about it…" he looks at me apologetically. "I'm planning on practicing my shots for tomorrow's tryout."

"It's ok," I assure him. It's not the first time he forgot his promise. The number of times he ditched me… "I'll eat breakfast alone."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise!" he calls out as he run off the opposite direction. "Oh, and if he appears again, give him an uppercut!"

Kiba and his promises… I should tell him that not all girls are like me – used to his broken promises and thus a little more forgiving. Sighing, I head for the cafeteria to have my breakfast. I hate my schedule. The registrar didn't even give me the chance to speak. He just gave me the schedule he wanted or something. Classes early in the morning and long breaks. It's insane. I have one of those long breaks now – 3 hours until my next class. I suppose I should just go back to my apartment and get a nap. But I dare not risk it lest I don't wake up on time and miss Literature.

After breakfast, I ride my bike towards the pond. It's always peaceful there. And no one's around most of the time. The students prefer to hang out in the Information Education Building because of the internet connection and it's quite comfortable. But it's too crowded and noisy for me so the pond is perfect. I lean my bike against a tree and I sit beneath it. So peaceful… I just love the sound of the leaves rustling… I miss this. I miss the cherry blossom tree outside my bedroom in our ancestral house. I miss the green. My apartment is surrounded by buildings I can't even get a glimpse of the sky.

"You make quite a sight," a voice drawls.

My eyes snap open. I must have dozed off. I didn't hear him and here he is, standing in front of me with that annoying smirk. I look around. Of course, no one else is here. Gulping, I gaze up at him. I'm a Hyuuga. A Hyuuga is not easily scared. I try to imitate my cousin's icy courtesy. "H-h-how…" Alas, it is not so easy. "H-how did you f-find me?"

"I followed you," he answers, shrugging. "You bruised my face."

I get up to my feet slowly. I don't like the way he looks at me. I don't know what it is but it's giving me the creeps. "I… I s-see… that. I-I'm really s-s-sorry, Uchiha-san –"

"So you know who I am."

"N-n-not until my r-roommate came h-home…"

"You have a speech defect?"

"N-no, I'm…" I take a deep breath. I punched him once, I'll punch him again. "W-what do you want, Uchiha-san?"

"Call me Sasuke," he tells me. Kami, why is he staring at me like that? "As to what I want, I want you."

And the next thing I know, he's pinned me against the tree with his mouth on mine. I'm so shock I can't even… I just freeze up, staring over his head. Ew, is that his tongue? Moving over my closed lips? What is this person? I push against his chest and he finally lifts his head but didn't move away. I swing my arm back to hit him but he catches it.

"I told you," he says, that annoying smirk making reappearance. "You can't hit me again."

"Let go," I struggle against him. I didn't notice that his other arm's around my waist.

He lets go. Only to have his hand on my face. I can't breathe. Is he going to kiss me again? "Soft…" he murmurs as he stroke me on the cheek. I bet my face is red. I can feel it burning. "Am I your first?"

"F-first what? First kiss?"

"Yes."

"No, you're not. Please, let go." He steps back, looking at me questioningly but before he can ask anything I cut him off. "I apologize for the bruise I gave you. Unless you want me to pay for an ointment or something, please stop bothering me."

I turn to go but he grabs my arm. "I'm not here for a fucking ointment. Be my girlfriend."

My jaw drops. Is he serious? Me, his girlfriend? Is he really asking me to be his girlfriend? He's not really asking me, though. He looks like he's going to strangle me if I say no. "No."

He's so shock he's rendered speechless for a few seconds. "No one's ever rejected me once, let alone twice."

"What twice?"

"The first one's last Saturday."

"I didn't reject you. I punched you because you were a pervert. You groped me."

"I didn't grope you," he denies, his hand digging painfully on my arm. "You can't reject me. No one rejects me twice. No one's ever rejected me."

I wrench my arm free. "I'm not trying to make history. I'm sorry if I offended you but I stand firm in my answer – no. I don't have any intention to be in a relationship. And even if I am, it won't be with you."

I grab my bike and ride away. From him and the haunting memory of my first kiss.

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><p><em>February 11, 2012 – Whew! There, done! *heaves sigh of relief* I've been working on this chapter for what seems like months, OMG! If the mood of this chapter is a little inconsistent, blame it on my mood swings LOL! I can finally work on my other story Life, Unexpected. I've been neglecting it for a looooong time. I'm ashamed.<em>

_Thank you so much for the reviews! You guys are amazing!_


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: **Naruto is not mine... if it is, I wouldn't pull that thing about Karin.

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><p><strong>+ NARUTO +<strong>

**BESTFRIEND, NOT SIDEKICK**

_Bangarang - Skrillex_

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><p>Sasuke's in a bad mood. He usually is but I can tell that it's something really bad. I don't know what it is exactly. I have a feeling it has something to do with that Hyuuga Hinata, though. I mentioned her earlier and he gave me the evil eyes. I don't get it. I mean, the guy's crushing on her and he's supposed to have this starry-eyed look in him whenever his lady's name is mentioned but he didn't. Instead he looked ready to chop my head off. He is so weird.<p>

Whatever. His lovelife is the least of my problems. But his performance on today's tryouts is my problem. We're the ultimate tag team, Sasuke and I. We kept our high school on the top. Fuck, not just the top, we were number one in the country for 3 years! I am planning on bringing Todai – no, scratch that – I will bring Todai to number one. So Sasuke better not screw this up over some girl.

The gym is already packed when we arrived, most of them are girls. I'm not surprised. Words spread fast among Sasuke's fangirls and damn, some of them are already cheering for him. That did not help his mood one bit.

"Fucking fangirls," he mutters under his breath.

"The noisier the better," I say, grinning. I love a noisy crowd. It energizes me. "I am so ready to dunk, believe it!" We approach the members of the Basketball Team and bow to them respectfully. "Senpai! Uzumaki Naruto, point guard! One of the mythical five from last year's Nationals."

The long-haired blond is the only one who pays us attention. "You fucking moron! Locker rooms are over there! Go change!"

"YES, SENPAI!" I salute. What a dick, though. No one calls me moron and gets away with it but he's a senpai from the Basketball Team so… I follow Sasuke to the locker room. "Oh yeah, oh yeah~" I chant excitedly. I'm in such a fucking good mood right now nothing will make me – what the fuck? "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE, DOGBREATH?"

Dogbreath's standing in front of a locker, changing into a sportswear. He smirks at me. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm joining the Basketball Team, you moron!"

"I mean," he mutters with a bark of laughter, "what is an idiot like you doing in a university like this?"

I drop my bag on the floor and would've lunge at the moron if Sasuke didn't hold me back. By my collar, the asshole. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"Is everything alright here?" a soft voice from the door asks.

I turn around. A beautiful lady is standing there. "You can't be here. This is the men's locker room." She just rolls her eyes at me and goes at the other side of the room. I follow her. Is she here to see her boyfriend? My jaw drops as she takes off her shirt. "YOU-YOU'RE A… A GUY?"

She, I mean, he just smiles at me and continued changing his clothes. I feel someone pulling me back. By my collar, the bastard.

"Let go!" I grumble at him. "I can't fucking breathe, you bastard!"

"Are you going to watch him change? I didn't know you like pretty guys, Naruto."

"You know fucking well I don't!" I lower my voice to a whisper as we change into a shirt, shorts and rubber shoes. "Did you see him, though? He looks like a girl… And his hair… Is he a member of the Basketball Team? So many members have long hair… Is that a trend here or what?"

I give a start as I hear him again. "All of you should be outside in 1 minute."

"Yes, Senpai!" the freshmen answer obediently.

"He even sounds like a girl," I shake my head. But now is not the time to think about other stuff. I put on my dark blue headband round my forehead. It's basketball time! "COME ON! I'M READY TO KICK SOME ASS, BELIEVE IT!"

We walk out of the locker room to an uproar. Looks like Sasuke's fanclub doubled in size while we were inside. The bastard scowls but I wave at everyone. I spot Shikamaru and Chouji at the other side of the court. I didn't know they'd be here so I wave energetically and blow them kisses as though they were my fans. The assholes don't give a crap. Shikamaru yawns and Chouji keeps on munching chips as he stares at me with boredom. Standing beside Shikamaru are Blondie and Pinkie and beside them is…

"You have quite the cheering squad, Uchiha," Dogbreath murmurs mockingly as he smirks at Sasuke. "But there's one girl here who's not cheering for you. She's cheering for me. Hey, Hinata!" The blue-haired girl standing beside Pinkie turns her head, breaks into a smile and waves at dogbreath. Sasuke stiffens as he sees her. She didn't even spare Sasuke a glance. "Oh, and stay away from her, Uchiha."

"Or what?" I ask challengingly. "Are you her boyfriend?"

"What if I am?"

"Tch, I wonder what she sees in you. Compared to Sasuke you're nothing."

"You have quite the sidekick here, Uchiha."

"W-what?" I sputter in indignation. "I'm not his sidekick!"

A whistle sounds and the blond-haired senpai raises his voice. "Freshmen! Warm-up, come on! We don't have all day!"

"What are you going to do now?" I ask Sasuke quietly. He's still staring at the Hyuuga girl. "Looks like she has a boyfriend. And a weird taste, too. Who would want that dogbreath for a boyfriend?"

Sasuke starts stretching his arms. "He's not her boyfriend."

"How'd you know?"

"Hn."

We do warm-up drills for 10 minutes. When we're done, the members ask us to form a line facing them. I gulp as I somehow end up facing the senpai I've mistaken for a girl earlier. He smiles at me and I smile back weakly. Is this awkward or what?

The long-haired blond steps forward. Maybe he's the captain. "Our coach is having an important meeting right now. I trust you all know Coach Ibiki, right?" We shout back a yes. The fuck is with the noise? We can barely hear each other. "Good! You're not some stupid dumbasses then. Captain?"

He looks to his right and the girly guy gives a nod. "Thank you, Deidara. My name is Yuki Haku, your captain –"

"CAPTAIN?" I yell in shock. It's weird enough that he's in the Basketball team and now he's the freaking captain?

"Is that a problem, Uzumaki-san?" he asks, smiling softly.

I can feel my face heating up. "N-no… Wait! How did you know who I am?"

"Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto," he mutters, looking at me and Sasuke. "The Double Trouble of Rakunan High School who kept the Nationals to Kyoto for 3 years in a row. Universities all over Japan clamoured to have the two of you in their teams but you chose Todai. We are honoured."

I grin sheepishly. "We're flattered… er, Captain."

"Fuck this," a bored voice says. It was the tall guy standing beside the captain. "Who the fucking cares who these fucktwits are. They're all just snotty freshmen."

"This is Hidan, our center," Haku explains. He claps his hands and smiles again. "Let's have a practice play, 5 on 5 freshmen first to see their abilities. Is that alright with you people?" he asks his members and they all give a grunt.

"It'll be boring, though…" the blond guy mutters grudgingly.

"And then we'll choose the 5 who makes it to the team," Haku announces cheerfully.

"5? I say no one makes it," the tall guy smirks. Oh, how I want to wipe that smirk off his face.

"Uchiha! Uzumaki!" Haku calls out.

"YES, CAPTAIN!"

"I want you both in the same team. I wasn't able to watch any of your games. I'd like to see how you two play."

"YES, CAPTAIN!"

"You're sucking up, are you?" Sasuke asks me when we approach our team-mates. They're the snotty freshmen, not us.

"I have to make up for earlier," I say seriously, arranging the headband on my forehead. "And I have no intention of being a benchwarmer throughout freshman year. Do you?"

"Of course not."

I grin at him. "Let's rock then!"

Looking around at my fellow freshmen, I say we are the best in here. That dogbreath may act all cocky but he's no match for us. We are the best. No doubt about that… So imagine my surprise when I toss the ball to my left and it lands on the hands of the opposing team. What. The. Fuck. See, the best thing about me and Sasuke's teamwork is that we can read each other's minds. I don't have to look to see if he's right there. He just automatically is. He knows exactly where I'm going to pass him the fucking ball. So what the fuck just happened?

"The fuck, teme?" I ask as I run past him. He ignores me, the bastard.

Maybe he didn't see me or something. But whatever. He must focus. He can't screw this up. We've been playing basketball since we were big enough to walk and I can see us still playing when we're middle-aged. We're not going professional but basketball is part of our lives so the desire to be the best at it is there. We were the best in high school. We must prove that we are still at the top of our game right now. We can't screw this up. Our reputation is at stake.

I get the rebound again and I hightail toward the basket. This time, before passing the ball, I make sure that Uchiha fucking Sasuke is there to get it. He is, catches the ball and throws it. He misses. I wasn't worried that much when he didn't see my pass earlier but now I'm really worried. I look at Sasuke and I can see his eyes widening a bit, as surprised as I am. What the fuck is wrong with him? He never missed a shot before. Not even during practice and especially not an easy fade-away shot like that. I look at the Basketball team members at the side and notice how that tall guy is smirking while the blond one is laughing and pointing at Sasuke. They know. Looking around, it seems that everyone knows too. Even Sasuke's fangirls. Their cheering is not as loud as it was a few moments ago. Shikamaru and Chouji are looking at me questioningly. I just shrug. I don't know what's going on with Sasuke.

Halfway through the 2nd quarter, Sasuke attempts another 3pts. He misses again. I don't know how many times he attempted anymore. I stopped tracking after his 10th fail. But! I am keeping track of our score. We are 20pts behind. Awesome. Great. Fan-fucking-tastic. I call a timeout.

"Fuck!" Sasuke swears loudly.

Oh, he's angry? Good, because I'm angry too. I grab him close by the neck. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Sasuke? If you're having a bad day and can't shoot, pass the ball!"

He shoves me away as he takes a seat on the bench. I'm not as good a shooter as him but I know I can shoot. The dogbreath runs past with a smirk.

"Why does she have to be here?" Sasuke murmurs, glaring at – I turn around – Hyuuga Hinata. "And why the fuck is she wearing a short skirt?"

I frown. I've seen girls wear skirts shorter than the one Hyuuga is wearing – it reaches her mid-thigh and there's nothing eye-popping about it at all. And she seems more interested in watching the cheering fangirls on the bleachers than the game. "Teme, concentrate! Just ignore her." Sasuke slams his fist on the bench. Everyone looks at him. "Should I ask her to leave or something?"

Sasuke thinks for a second before getting on his feet. He grabs a towel and wipes his sweaty face. "I'll do it."

"What are you going to do?" I ask but he's already walking towards the Hyuuga, the towel dangling in his hand.

Everyone stops what they're doing to stare at Sasuke crossing the court. The fangirls are going wild. Hyuuga Hinata notices his approach and her eyes grow wide in… fear? When Sasuke is close enough, she takes a step back but Sasuke grabs her hand. All the noise and smiles die when Hyuuga Hinata raises her other hand as though to strike Sasuke. He catches it and says something everyone has no trouble hearing. "I told you… you can't punch me again."

Then he kisses her.

Everyone screams. Well, the fangirls are. And it's not a 'cheering' scream. It's more of an 'agonized' screaming… as though they're watching a very gory movie. Sasuke finally resurfaces. Wow, Hyuuga Hinata's face is pale. Maybe the bastard's a bad kisser. The Hyuuga covers her mouth and runs out of the gym. So that's Sasuke's way of getting rid of her – kissing her in front of his fangirls. I wonder if he knows the danger he just put his crush into. I'll tell him later. Basketball's more important. And that bastard better start playing seriously now.

"Is Uchiha done flirting? So we can, you know, carry on with the game?" the blond senpai asks sarcastically.

I was about to make a retort when I see dogbreath walking angrily towards Sasuke. I approach them hurriedly.

"What the hell was that, Uchiha?" Dogbreath growls right in front of Sasuke's face.

"Naruto said you're stupid," Sasuke mutters snidely, "but who knew you're _that_ stupid."

"Why you –"

"Hey, hey!" I squeeze myself between them. "We're in the middle of a tryout. I don't mind you not getting in the team, Dogbreath, but you're not dragging Sasuke with you."

"Keep your nose out of other people's business. This has nothing to do with you," Dogbreath snarls at me before turning back to Sasuke. "And you keep your hands off her."

And with that he walks away. "He's all threat, really… Are you alright now? You're not nervous anymore?"

"Idiot," Sasuke mutters rigidly. "Who said I was nervous?"

"Isn't that why you're having epic fails?" I ask him as we run into position. "You're nervous because your crush was here?"

"She's not my crush," he replies firmly. I was about to open my mouth when he silences me with a glare. "Drop it."

Asshole. He was definitely nervous. And I don't get why he's denying that he has a crush on Hyuuga Hinata. It's fucking obvious! It's as obvious as my hair. As obvious as our obvious dominance. We totally slammed the competition. We were able to bounce back and defeated dogbreath's team – 94 to 80. We made it to the basketball team (how can we not). So did Dogbreath but who cares about him. Although… I must admit, he's quite fast. Not as fast as I am, of course. He can also jump real high. Not as high as I do, obviously. I still am, after all, the best rebounder in Japan. High School division, yes, but I will snag that title in college. Just wait and see.

I switch on Sasuke's huge plasma TV. Me, Chouji and Shikamaru are all in Sasuke's place right now. We're doing a group report for Economics class tomorrow. Well, Sasuke's doing it. Chouji and I are sprawled on the floor watching TV. Shikamaru's beside Sasuke on the couch. I don't really know what he's doing but they would discuss about something every now and then. This is the best thing about group reports and being in the same group with two geniuses. They do all the work while we do nothing. But I'm no slacker! I'll be damned if I let them have all the attention. I am the one who reports in front of the class just because my voice is really loud and heck, I have a good voice.

"They're really pretty," I murmur, awestruck at the Korean girl group singing and dancing on MTV. "And their legs! Hot damn! They can't be real, right?"

"They look real to me," answers Chouji. I don't know if he's drooling because of the food beside us or because of the legs that we're watching oh so attentively. "It looks so smooth…"

"I've seen their concert last month and I was there right in front and they're not even that tall – I say they're about as tall as Sasuke's Hyuuga – but look at those legs! So long… it goes on forever!"

Sasuke snorts. He takes his eyes off the laptop to look at the TV. "Hinata's legs are much better than theirs."

I smirk. "Speaking of Hyuuga Hinata. This bastard here was nervous because she was there at the tryout."

"Shut up."

"Aw, come on. You were self-conscious the entire time and won't stop looking at her."

"How did you two meet?" Shikamaru asks Sasuke curiously.

"Yeah, how did you meet Hinata-chan?"

"You know her?" I ask Chouji in surprise. I forgot. This is the first time we've hang out since the entrance ceremony. Blondie and Pinkie were stalking Shikamaru, hoping to get a chance to hang out with Sasuke.

Chouji gives a shrug. "She ate at our restaurant a couple of times with Ino and Sakura. I like her. She eats a lot. She finished 5 orders of barbecue by herself."

I noticed that Sasuke glanced sharply at Chouji when he said he likes Hyuuga Hinata. I smirk at him knowingly. He glares at me.

When neither I nor Sasuke answered his question, Shikamaru then asks, "What's going on with you two anyway? You guys dating?"

"She didn't look like she was dating you," Chouji comments. "She looked terrified after you kissed."

Sasuke says nothing but goes back to work and types some more. I change the subject. "Did you see the fangirls' reaction?" I ask them laughingly.

Chouji guffaws. "You'd think they were watching their worst nightmare!"

"It was their worst nightmare!" I correct him. "Sasuke-kun was kissing someone else and it broke their fangirl heart. I swear I saw someone sobbing. Might be your friend Blondie."

"Ino? Nah, she was really quiet," Shikamaru says with a frown. "Actually, both Ino and Sakura were quiet. They even left without saying anything to us or to each other."

"Yeah," Chouji affirms, opening another bag of chips. "It was their fault we were there in the first place. They dragged us with them. Like we even wanted to be there."

"Yeah, I could tell," I mutter sourly, remembering the expression on their faces earlier when I was waving at them. I look around. "Teme, do you have beers?"

"You can't drink, Naruto," Shikamaru reminds me. "We have classes tomorrow. And we have this report."

"Geez, I just want a bottle! Sasuke only has one juice – tomato juice! There's no tea, no coffee, no milk, no soda! All the bastard got are gallons of tomato fucking juice!"

"I don't even have beers, you idiot!" Sasuke retorts in annoyance. He gets really touchy about his tomato juice. He won't even let anyone near them. As if we even liked tomato juice.

"Fine! I'll go buy beverage downstairs!" Half an hour later, Sasuke's already done with the report. He's standing by the windows when I arrive with the beverages. "Rootbeer for everyone!" I put the cans on the table. Chouji immediately grabs a can. Shikamaru hands me a – let me see – 4 pages of paper. "This is our report?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru nods as he helps himself to a can of rootbeer. "Your report. We have one topic each. The first to discuss is Chouji."

"How many pages do you have?" I ask Chouji who's still busy eating.

"2," he answers between mouthfuls.

"How come he only has two pages?" I complain to Shikamaru. I flip through the papers on my hands. There's a graph on the third page. "Am I supposed to understand this shit?"

Shikamaru sighs. "Just read it and you'll understand," he sees the doubt on my face. "You just have to summarize them. If the professor asks questions, Sasuke and I will answer them."

I grumble as I toss the papers aside. Economics is becoming my least favourite subject. "I'll read it later," I look at the lone figure by the window. "How many pages do you have, teme?" No answer. "TEME!"

"Get over it, Naruto," Shikamaru says quietly.

"What's it like?" Sasuke suddenly asks out-of-the-blue, still gazing down at Tokyo's city lights. "To be rejected?"

What's he talking about? "I got rejected? With the report?"

"I was rejected," he oh so clarifies. Fuck, what is he on?

"What are you talking about?"

"You mean who," Shikamaru puts in, staring curiously at Sasuke's back. "She rejected you?"

To my astonishment, Sasuke's back droops a bit. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

Shikamaru opens his mouth again. He's feeling very un-lazy tonight, is he? "Hyuuga Hinata rejected him."

Chouji's jaw drops and so did mine. "You're joking!"

"Yesterday, I asked her to be my girlfriend and she said no," Sasuke explains without facing us.

Shikamaru, Chouji and I are all quiet. Wow, I can't believe this. The almighty Uchiha fucking Sasuke was rejected? This is unprecedented! Unbelievable! Completely out of this world! This should be in Guinness Book of World Records or something. If I tweet about this, Sasuke will trend worldwide for days! But of course I'm not going to do that. I can't even imagine what the word 'no' did to Sasuke's amazing ego. He must hate the Hyuuga now. Oh, wait…

"Then why did you kiss her?"

Sasuke's back stiffens. "I was mad. She rejected me just over 12 hours ago and she showed up in the gym as though nothing happened. As though I, Uchiha Sasuke, did not ask her to be my very first girlfriend. She should have been ecstatic. But, no, it didn't matter to her. Not one fucking bit." He finally turns to face us. "And you know what else?" We shake our head. "She called me a pervert."

"She didn't!" Chouji gasps in outrage.

"She even accused me of groping her," Sasuke continues. "Tell me, Naruto, did I grope her in that bar?"

"What bar?" Shikamaru asks in confusion.

I shake my head to clear it from all these awesomeness. I explain to Shikamaru and Chouji what happened that night. "Last Saturday night we went to this bar. There was a party some senpai threw for freshmen. Anyway, I don't know exactly what happened. I just saw Sasuke walking to the dance floor and he came behind this girl and did this…" I demonstrate by putting my arm round Chouji's huge belly. I pull him against me and put my other hand on his arm.

"See? That's not groping!" Sasuke exclaims indignantly.

"Then what happened?" asks Shikamaru.

"Then Hyuuga Hinata punched him and yeah, called him a pervert," I rest my head on Chouji's shoulder. "You remind me of my teddy bear, Chouji."

"Shut up and snuggle into me, Naruto!" he says, imitating a transvestite. We collapse on the couch, laughing our asses off.

Shikamaru ignores us. "So she gave you that bruise?"

"Yes," Sasuke turns back to glowering at the scenery below. "Is that a normal behaviour?"

"Teme, if I do that to a random girl, she might even get me arrested."

"If I do that, she'll call me a pervert too."

Chouji and I turn to Shikamaru, waiting for his answer. "I will never do that. Girls in general are way too troublesome. But in regards to it being a 'normal behaviour', yes. She's not your fangirl. Surprisingly, she seems immune to you."

"No one is immune to me." Sasuke mutters darkly.

"Hyuuga Hinata is," I point out to him dryly. He glares at me again.

"So she rejected you," Shikamaru states, staring at Sasuke as though he's trying to make sense of everything, "and still you kissed her this afternoon. Without her consent?"

"Do I have to ask permission every time I kiss a girl?" Sasuke returns arrogantly.

"Hyuuga Hinata seems a little different from a normal girl," muses Shikamaru. "A little conservative, if you may."

"She was from an all-girls high school," Chouji adds. "And an heiress to a really traditional family, too. Of course she'll be old-fashioned."

"Yeah, she would not want to be associated with a known playboy such as Uchiha Sasuke." I glance at Sasuke's taut profile. "What's your next move? I'm guessing she hates your guts right now but… you really, really like her, do you?"

"No one is immune to me." Sasuke repeats his previous statement with clenched fists.

Being the arrogant, conceited bastard that he is, he will never admit to needing help. But I can see it in his eyes. The uncertainty. He absolutely has no idea what to do with Hyuuga Hinata. Inwardly I am laughing my ass off. Am I laughing at him because of what he's going through? Yes, I am. But I'm not that cruel. I'll just do my laughing inside.

The bastard deserves it.

I've known him my entire life. We have pictures of us in a crib wearing nothing but diapers, in a bathtub, in a playpen. There was this picture when we were two years old in a park. I looked ugly there. My face was blotchy and I had a runny nose. I was throwing a tantrum because my mum won't let me have a Popsicle. But Sasuke looked as poised as a two-year old could be. He didn't cry, didn't throw a tantrum. And so he got the fucking Popsicle. He was smirking in that photograph. Now, I'm not bitching about an incident that I can't even remember. Point is, Sasuke gets whatever he wants without effort. Everything is handed to him. Just because of his face. He doesn't even need the name Uchiha and the power and privileges that come with it. He just needs his face.

I thought I'd never live to see the day that someone out there is immune to Sasuke – his face, his charisma, his wealth, his influence. Kami, I so want to laugh right now. But as his best friend, I shall reserve the gloating at a later time. You know, when he comes crawling to me and begging me to help him. I offered him help a few days ago but he threw it in my face. So yeah… it'll be freaking amusing to watch Uchiha Sasuke struggle with emotions he never felt before.

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><p><em>April 02, 2012 – DONE! I wasn't sure if I could finish this chapter this week. It seemed to go on forever. But I know my readers like them chapters long, right?<em>

_I was pumped to finish this chapter but had difficulty with it. See, my writing gets influenced by what I read and these days I've been reading a lot of yaoi. I don't even know why… oh gosh, I took a long while when I wrote about Naruto and Sasuke's interactions because I felt like they were flirting with each other. Seriously…_

_Anyway, I'm excited about the next chapter! Wooooooooooooooo~_

_Thanks to those who reviewed and to my silent readers out there who are soooo patient. You guys inspire me, it is known._


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: **GAARA IS MINE.

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><p><strong>+ GAARA +<strong>

**...**

_Creep – Radiohead_

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><p>I can see them moving from my peripheral view. They pause 3 feet away in hesitation. The one behind the shorter one gave the latter a slight push, urging her forward. It took her 30 seconds to reach my side. A notebook clenched tightly in shaking hands is thrust under my nose.<p>

"CanIpleasehaveyourautograph?" she says in a rush.

I turn to look up at her with a frown. I don't know if she can tell that I'm frowning since I have no eyebrows. She must have, though, for she stiffens up in fright and runs off screaming. Much to my annoyance. I have half a mind to shout back at her that I was going to say yes. I didn't. I don't shout. I watch her run out the door with her friend following behind. I resume my glaring at the blackboard in front. I can feel eyes watching me but I'm rather good at ignoring stares.

When people see my face, they stare. When people hear me sing, they stare. People stare all the time. I'm used to stares.

The door opens and silence falls in the room. It lasted for about 10 seconds before the whispering starts. I didn't remove my eyes from the blackboard but I can tell that everyone's stares have shifted to the newcomer. The three girls sitting 2 rows from me are whispering to each other rather loudly.

"That's her," says the one with a funny hairstyle. "Hyuuga Hinata."

"The girl Uchiha Sasuke kissed yesterday?" asked another with a horrified voice.

"The bitch herself," confirmed the other maliciously.

I frowned when I heard the name Hyuuga Hinata and it deepened when I heard the word bitch. Hyuuga Hinata being referred to as a bitch? That is enough to stir my curiosity. Wrenching my eyes off the blackboard, I look up to see a blue-haired girl walking with her head down. She's clutching her bag as though she's hanging on for dear life. Like me, she always chooses a seat at the very last row.

How can they call her a bitch? The girl looks absolutely terrified with all the attention she's garnering. She fidgets with her fingertips as soon as she takes a seat, her head still bent. The whispers and dirty looks are still being hurled at her.

"So she was the one who punched Uchiha Sasuke in that club?"

"Yeah. Did you see his beautiful face? He still has those bruises, my poor Prince."

"Who does she think she is? Punching Uchiha Sasuke…"

"Well, duh, I heard she's the Hyuuga heiress."

I tune out all their voices and goes back to staring at the blackboard again. Petty gossips. I do not know the Hyuuga personally. However, she is in most of my classes and she seems dull. And annoyingly clumsy. If she's not stabbing my toes as she walk past she's sitting on me or lunges at me or her books would somehow end up on my head. She is definitely not the type of person who would attract superfluous attention and yet there she is, the center of everyone's extreme dislike. All this animosity appears to have something to do with a person named Uchiha Sasuke. He is quite popular. Everyone knows him. I suppose that's what happens when you get the highest score in the entrance exam.

The doors open with a bang. "All right, bitches! Those who can't play one instrument can go now before I start to get really pissed. You have no right to join the Music Club if you can't play a fucking instrument! So get out, NOW!"

Tayuya is as cheerful as always. The Music Club members must have grabbed any freshmen they can grab. I wasn't grabbed. Tayuya herself asked me to join. A lot of clubs have asked me to join them. I do not want to join any but it's a requirement.

"Senpai, what about me? I can sing," asks someone.

"Can you play an instrument?" Tayuya inquires with a frown.

"No –"

"Then get the fuck out and join the choir or something! If you can play an instrument and you can sing then stay. If you can't play an instrument and you can sing, what the fuck are you going to do with your fucking hands? Grip the fucking mic?"

Fifteen people get to their feet, murmuring as they exit the room. And then there were four.

"This is more like it," Tayuya mumbles approvingly, leaning against the blackboard. The rest of the Music Club starts filing in.

"Four… 3 guys and a cute girl."

"You're that Hyuuga everyone's talking about, right? The one who punched Uchiha Sasuke? Is it true he kissed you at the basketball gym yesterday?"

Hyuuga Hinata's face becomes red and gives a grimace.

"Of course it's true. There are pictures all over the internet. Didn't you see them?"

"Enough with that nonsense," reprimands Tayuya. She looks at the shy girl. "Hyuuga Hinata, can you play an instrument?"

"Y-yes, Senpai."

"What kind of instrument?"

"P-piano… g-guitar, drums –"

"You play drums?" asks some Music Club member doubtfully.

"Y-yes…"

"What else?"

"V-violin, cello, flute –"

"You can't play the flute. I play the flute," Tayuya mutters, interrupting again. "So you can play a lot of instruments but which one do you think is you're good at?"

"P-piano, Senpai," Hyuuga Hinata answers timidly.

"Really?" she smirks. "Let us be the judge of that. Here's the piano. Play something for us."

Hyuuga Hinata's eyes grow huge in nervousness. The girl is pathetic. That much is obvious. Yet I still cannot fathom why she is being labelled a bitch. The logic escapes me.

The Hyuuga walks in front and sits behind the piano. A blush graces her features. "U-uhm… S-senpai, w-what should I play?"

Tayuya leans against the blackboard as she observes the other girl. "Whatever you want."

She plays 'What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life' by M. Legrand of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. I like it and listen to it quite often. It's a song whose slightly sorrowful melody whispers close to my ears. I catch Tayuya's eyes. She winks at me. I ignore her. The woman presumes too much.

"Not bad, Hyuuga." Tayuya exclaims over the loud clapping when the Hyuuga was done. I don't quite agree. She can play, no doubt about that however, she was far too self-conscious. I say she was 65% focused on playing the piano and 35% on her audience. Does she think we're going to throw tomatoes at her? "Kidomaru, we have a new pianist."

"Good," a guy says approvingly. "I'm tired of playing the piano."

"You're not as good as Hyuuga, anyway," another member pipes up.

"Congratulations, Hyuuga, you made it. Welcome to the Music Club."

Hyuuga Hinata bows. "T-thank you, Senpai."

Tayuya then proceeds to interrogating the other two freshmen. The other plays the violin while the other plays a guitar. Both are mediocre but they make it in anyway. When she is done with them, she makes quite a show of introducing me.

"I'm sure you know who this is!" she tells everyone excitedly as she clutches my shoulders as though I'm a present of some sort. Everyone stares at me. I do hope they are not going to ask me to sing something for them. The room may be soundproof but my songs will no doubt reverberate throughout the building. And of course, there's no band here. There's an electric guitar, though.

"Play something!" enthuses the other female member of the Music Club. I look at her and she blushes. She then acquires Hyuuga Hinata's stutter. "I-if t-that's o-ok with you…"

"Of course it's ok with him!" Tayuya answers for me. Without my consent. "I told you we're all fans of yours here, Gaa-kun," I flinch at that nickname. She is getting too familiar with me. Besides, not every one here is a fan, judging from the Hyuuga's blank stare. Tayuya leans closer. "It'll be awesome if you play something for us."

I would like to point out that I really have no other choice but I get on my feet and walk in front without a word. A guitar solo will do. If they want to hear me sing, they know where to find me. I play a piece that's been humming in my head for days now. And as always, whenever I play the guitar, I lose my self in the music. It's my escape, my perfect place. After what seem like hours I resurface from my trance as the last note fade away. Everyone's staring at me open-mouthed. Then they erupt into a cheer, led by Tayuya. Stupid. I avoid looking at everyone and take my time in putting away the Music Club's electric guitar.

"We are glad to have you with us, freshmen," Tayuya is now stating. "We have a lot of projects lined-up this year so we must work hard. We will meet here tomorrow, same time. Now get lost." Everyone scrambles for the door. I go back to the back row where Tayuya's standing guard. "Hyuuga, stay. I have something to discuss with you."

The Hyuuga squeaks in response and stands to wait awkwardly in a corner.

"Kankuro is worried about you," Tayuya murmurs, giving me a look that only Temari gives me. This woman really does presume too much. When I say nothing she continues, "You can at least call them and tell them what's going on with you."

"Nothing is going on with me. There's nothing to tell."

"They're worried. They can't help it. You're they're youngest brother." Thank you for reminding me. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "They want to know if you're sleeping well – if you're sleeping at all – and if you're eating properly."

"Tayuya, you are not my sister," I remind her not unkindly.

She blushes. "Not yet but… Kankuro worries about you all the time…"

Even when you two are having sex? If Kankuro doesn't propose to her in 10 years I might do something out of character. Like laugh out loud. Or roll on the floor laughing my ass off. I grab my bag and turn to go without saying anything. On my way to the door, I pass by the Hyuuga who is staring intently at the floor. Judging by the intense blush on her face and her guilty expression, she heard us.

"Don't forget to eat!" Tayuya calls after me.

I'm a step out of the room. I pause as I take a deep breath. Should I give her my death glare? Should I make her regret her meddling? Sighing, I shut the door behind me. I may be cold towards my siblings but I do care a great deal about them and the people they are involved with. Kankuro and Tayuya have been together for 5 years now. Quite a feat for Kankuro. That must mean he regards Tayuya as someone special. I have to tolerate her more if she's to become my future sister-in-law. Her assumption, not mine… Another sibling. I shudder.

The sun is setting down as I descend the steps of Complex A. I glance curiously at a group of girls huddled around a lone bicycle parked in front of the building.

"Are you sure this is Hyuuga's?" someone asks.

"Yeah,"

"Shouldn't there be a crest or something? She's a Hyuuga, right? Don't prominent families have those? Sasuke-kun has the Uchiha fan in all his things…"

"Do we even know what the Hyuuga crest is?"

"I don't."

"Whatever! Just do it!"

"I'm sure this belongs to Hyuuga. I saw her. Now give me the cutter!"

She then slashes the bike's tires furiously. I pass by them without calling them out for their bad behaviour. It's none of my business.

Later that night, I enter the club I work in. It's packed. But I have no trouble navigating through the crowd. People move out of my way as they see me. Some people give a shriek.

"IT'S GAARA!"

"KYAAA! Is he playing tonight?"

The club bouncer materializes beside me as a few girls start swarming around me. "Move! Out of the way!"

"GAARA! GAARA! GAARA!"

Fame is something I least expected when I started playing in Club Freakz, a haven for up-and-coming musicians like me, some 3 months ago. My music is something not a lot of people can relate to, I'm sure. All of my songs are about depression, solitude and death. It's a kind of music that will have your neighbors knocking on your doors complaining of ear-splitting noise. And yet, here are these people screaming my name. Is it because of my music? Is it… this is awkward but… is it because of my face? I glance to my left. A girl looks like she's hyperventilating as she asks me for a kiss. I consider my face to be peculiar. Definitely not good-looking.

Someone grabs my right arm and next thing I know, my face is pressed tight to a pair of well-endowed chest. The bouncer yanks me away before I suffocate. This is nothing new. It happens all the time. Girls expect me to do the nasty with them whenever they do something like that. Four months ago I've never been kissed. But when I started playing here… I don't even remember who my first kiss was. Girls would grab me after the show. It must be because of alcohol. They are always uncontrollable when under the influence. However, I'm not as disturbed with them as with the knowledge that their kissing and grabbing and groping leaves me feeling… nothing. In truth, I have never felt anything towards the opposite sex. Maybe I'm gay. But I don't know. I have never been hit on by another man. I've seen them checking me out, though.

I eventually reach Baki's office unscathed.

"Use the backdoor when you leave," the bouncer tells me respectfully. He is scared of me and I have no idea why. He is older and twice my size.

I thank him for his assistance before entering the owner's office. Baki's sitting behind his desk. A red-haired man is on the couch while an orange-haired man is pacing the room restlessly. They all looked up when I opened the door.

"Gaara!" Baki exclaims in greeting. He gestures at the chair opposite the couch. "Come take a seat."

"He already looks like a superstar," the orange-haired man mutters… checking me out. He stares as I take my seat. "I like the way you look, kid. And your style is very edgy. Do you have your demo CD?"

"No."

"The fuck? How are you gonna get signed if you don't have a fucking demo CD?"

"Calm down, Yahiko," the red-haired man says quietly. "We haven't even introduced ourselves yet."

Baki gets to his feet to do the introductions. "Gaara, these are Nagato and Yahiko. They're the CEOs of Akatsuki. You know what Akatsuki is, right?"

I nod my head. Of course I know. Akatsuki is a Tokyo based record label specializing in gothic and visual kei artists in genres such as electro-industrial, darkwave, gothic rock, EBM, and industrial metal. Compared to the other agents who have come to seek me, Akatsuki is the only one that I might consider signing to. And that's a big _might_.

"Good, you're not stupid," Yahiko mutters, plopping down beside Nagato. He glares at me. "Where are your drinks, Baki? Nagato and I will have whiskey. What about you, kid?"

"Gaara doesn't drink," Baki answers as he goes to get whiskey from his little bar in a corner.

Yahiko smirks. "What's the matter, kid? Can't handle alcohol?"

Baki answers for me again. "He can handle alcohol. He just doesn't want to drink. Stop trying to provoke Gaara. It's hard to convince him to come here on weekdays to talk with people like you."

"Are you his manager?" Yahiko counters, glancing from me to Baki. "Let the kid answer."

"I told you not to ask him a lot of questions, either," Baki growls as he place the glasses of whiskey on the center table. He's quite formidable when angry, especially since he's built like a bouncer.

"Sit down."

But for some reason, he's really scared of me. He scrambles back to his chair in haste. "I'm just… looking after you, Gaara."

I glance at him sideways. "I know."

Yahiko snorts in laughter but refrains from commenting. The person named Nagato clears his throat. "I'll go straight to the point. I've seen your performance last week and I was blown away. You have so much originality and pure talent. I want you with us. You have a huge potential to hit it big. What do you say?"

"My priority at the moment is studying."

"Bullshit," Yahiko scoffs. "I'm a high school dropout. When we were your age, Nagato and I already had an album, performed in arenas, made appearances on TV –"

"I don't care about that."

"Why do you play music then?" Nagato asks curiously.

"It's none of your business."

Yahiko jumps to his feet. "You – You have some serious attitude problem! Who do you think you are?"

"I told you not to ask him a lot of questions," Baki says smugly.

"Shut up!"

"Yahiko, sit down."

"But I am interested with what you have to offer," I mutter. Everyone stares at me. "Why else did I show up tonight?"

Yahiko shouts something obscene and downs his whiskey in one gulp. "This kid… If his fucking talent is as rare as his fucking attitude then sign him up, Nagato. What a fucktard." I wish he'd stop cursing. "Fucking bastard doesn't have a fucking demo CD. Have you ever recorded a song, kid?"

"No."

"Baki told us you're free on weekends," Nagato says pleasantly while Yahiko sits back down with more curses. "You can come by on our studio with your band –"

"I do not have a band. They're Baki's." Nagato looks at Baki. Baki looks at me. "They can play with me if they wish."

"Never mind," Yahiko exclaims gruffly. "We have a band available. Is everyone scared of you, kid?"

"You're not," I point out.

"Damn right, I'm not!" he gives a bark of laughter.

"Are you free this Saturday?" Nagato asks, checking something on his phone. "No homework?"

"The fuck with the homework."

"I am free this Saturday and I do my homework in advance." I have a lot of time at night.

Yahiko looks at me as though I'm from another planet. "Nerd."

"That's awesome," Nagato holds out his hand for me to shake. He smiles as we shake hands. I notice how Yahiko's scowling at our hands. "You will not regret this. The contract will be ready on Saturday so bring your manager with you."

I nod. "I'll go then."

Nagato bids me goodbye but Yahiko suddenly becomes quiet. What a moody guy. Baki follows me to the door. "See you. Take the backdoor."

"Yeah."

The way to the backdoor is almost empty. Only the employees are allowed here and they pay me no mind as I walk past. I step out into the dark alleyway. The sight that greets me gives me a pause. A middle-aged man is pushed against the wall by two juveniles.

"Give me your money, old man!"

"P-please! It's my daughter's tuition!"

I'm not unfamiliar with scenes like this. Last month there was a couple having sex here. They noticed me but I pretended that I did not notice them and walked past. Much like what I'm doing now. It's none of my business. I'm no superman, either. But I might ask the security guard for help. I'm a few feet away when I hear the old man calling me.

"Please, help!"

I stop. I hear the unmistakable sounds of violence behind me. I'm not a Good Samaritan. I'm not good, period. I walk away from situations like this. I do not want to get involved at all. And yet, when I heard him pleading for help, I find myself flinging my school bag on the dirty ground and move towards the old man getting beaten up. There are two of them and there's me. As Yahiko observed, I am a nerd. I am not physically fit but I can throw a punch. I can fight as well as Kankuro, if not better.

I don't know how many minutes have passed but the two guys backed out in the end. They are both sporting bloody lips and swollen eyes and the other guy's clutching his stomach. They're not that good in fighting at all but they did manage to hit me with a bottle on the side of my head. Still, I'm a little disappointed. They barely injured me. The old man is cowering in a corner.

"They're gone," I tell him, turning around to retrieve my bag. I pick it up in dismay. It's now dripping. It seems that I dropped it in a puddle. Awesome. Everything inside is probably drenched.

"Excuse me, son…"

I stiffen. "I'm not your son."

"I just want to say thank you."

Without looking back, I walk away. On the street, people stare. I can feel something dripping down my face. It must be blood. No wonder people are staring. In the Metro, people avoid me like a plague. When I get off from the subway I'm still conscious. I see a convenience store on the way to my apartment. Do I have a first-aid kit? I don't have soda, though. I should buy some. And onigiri too… When was the last time I ate?

I drop the items – 1 pack of onigiri and 1.5 litres of Coca-Cola – on the counter. The cashier looks at me and his eyes grow huge in fear. I must look hideous.

"I'll pay for them," someone behind me offers. It's the old man. Did he follow me all the way here? He looks terrified of me as well that he won't meet my eyes. "I owe you. For helping me."

I let him pay. After which he bows at me respectfully. I didn't bow back. I'm not really used to bowing even though I'm Japanese. I watch him exit the store and glance at the purchase he paid for. I do not understand. Is it because I helped him?

"Ga-Gaara-kun?" a familiar voice gasps. Hyuuga Hinata's just entered the store. "W-what happened to your face? Y-you're bleeding!" Without answering, I walk past her. She follows. "W-wait! S-stop!"

I stop.

"L-let me help you with that."

"With what?"

"Y-your injuries. I live j-just across the street," she peers up at me. "You have a h-huge gash on your right eyebrow."

I look at her suspiciously. Does she even know first-aid?

"C-come on. You're losing blood."

I suppose she's right. I'm starting to feel a little light-headed. And so I follow her. I do not know if I'm finally losing consciousness or that I just lost so much blood but after a few turns I'm quite convinced that Hyuuga Hinata's house is not just 'across the street'.

"Where exactly do you live?" I ask as we make another turn.

"W-we're almost there," she answers a little apologetically. "Are you okay?"

I'm losing more blood and on the verge of passing out. I did not answer, though.

"S-see that red building over there?" she points at the apartment building ahead of us. "T-that's where I live."

This is not 'across the street'. This is two blocks away from the convenience store. As we near her building, I see two men in black suits standing next to a dark Mercedes watching us. Both of them have the Hyuuga eyes. Hyuuga Hinata says nothing, as though they're not there. Am I hallucinating? Why am I with her in the first place? Why did I even agree to this? We're about to enter the building when the two men block the path.

"Hinata-sama, who is this?" the taller man asks. He's staring at me distrustfully.

"H-he's a classmate of mine. He needs help with his injuries."

"I will take him to a hospital," the other offers.

"It's okay. I'm a Red Cross v-volunteer, remember?"

"He is not trustworthy, Hinata-sama."

I wonder how long they're going to have this conversation outside. "I should go."

"I'm sorry, Gaara-kun… but you're already here so… P-please, he's my classmate. He's covered in blood!"

The taller man studies her and finally gives a nod. "Ko will stay with you."

The younger man follows us inside. Hyuuga Hinata must be someone important to have bodyguards. I immediately know which door her apartment is. Her wrecked bicycle is placed forlornly beside it.

"C-come in," Hyuuga Hinata mumbles in invitation, stepping inside.

It's small. As small as my own apartment. But that's normal in this part of Tokyo. I take off my shoes, put my damp bag beside it and walk into the tiny living room. The Hyuuga girl is rummaging something in the kitchen while the Hyuuga man is standing rigidly at the entrance.

Hyuuga Hinata thrusts a damp cloth in my hand. "S-sit down, please and wash your face. We need to disinfect your wound. How did you get that?"

"Beer bottle."

She nods. It seems that she really knows what she's doing, judging from the determined glint in her eyes. I can… smell her. She smells nice… pleasant. She shifts closer to me as she dabs something on my forehead. I feel even more light-headed.

"D-does it hurt?" she asks worriedly. She's looking at me with concern in her clear eyes. Suddenly I can't breathe. I can't pass out here. I lean away.

"Are you done?"

She visibly flinches. That came out more rudely than I intended. "A-almost…"

She continues with her work but this time she keeps her distance. I stare at her. Perhaps I've been staring too blatantly because her face is so red it would put the apples into shame. "Why are you doing this?"

"W-what?"

"Why are you helping me?"

"Y-you're my classmate," she answers, smiling. "And you're hurt… But e-even if you're not my classmate I would've helped you still."

"Are you saying you're an inherently good person? That you helped me out of the pureness of your heart?"

She looks down so I can't see her eyes. "I'm not a good person… Why is it important to know the reason I'm helping you, anyway?"

"You puzzle me." I reply honestly. I understand now why the old man paid the food I bought earlier: to repay me for helping him. Because he felt indebted. Hyuuga Hinata, though… I did nothing for her. I didn't help her bike from those girls.

"I o-overheard your conversation with Tayuya-senpai…" she confesses. "A-and… well… this is my apology… for stepping on your toes all the time… for running into you the other day…"

So that's it. "I accept your apology."

She beams at me. I feel light-headed again. I watch her as she puts gauze on the wound. I feel odd. I have been this close physically with a woman these past weeks and yet… I have never felt dizzy. "Did I lose a lot of blood?" I ask her.

"T-the gash is about an inch long but shallow… N-no, I don't think you've lost a lot…" she shifts closer again, her full attention on dressing my wound.

I catch my breath as I sense her hand push aside a lock of hair. I stop breathing altogether as I notice that we're practically nose-to-nose. I look away. Anywhere but the face in front of me. My eyes found the Hyuuga man leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, glaring at me. If looks could kill, I'd be on the early stages of decomposition by now.

"T-there! Done!" Hyuuga Hinata cries proudly. She tries to get up but being clumsy; she stumbles and steps into my purchase.

My food.

The onigiri is crushed helplessly under her foot. I have managed to save the soda just in time.

"O-oh m-my!" she gasps in shock. "I'm so s-sorry! I didn't m-mean to!"

The soda is more important. "It's fine."

She picks up the plastic bag with the poor onigiri in it. "Is this… y-your dinner?"

"It was supposed to be my dinner, yes."

"Oh."

"I am grateful for your help. I'll go now."

"W-wait!" she rushes to the refrigerator. "I h-have food here better than that onigiri from the vending machine… I made this Korean dish called kimchi. Tenten didn't like it. She said it's too spicy. She doesn't like the smell, either. There's a lot so… here, take it."

She thrusts a big container in my hands. She's giving me food? Maybe it tasted bad. Why do women like experimenting in the kitchen and force other people to eat their dreadful cooking? Temari always tries to make me eat one of her rock-hard brownies. Is that an ailment females have in common?

I thank the Hyuuga girl anyway. I'll just throw this. The bodyguard follows me outside.

"Do not misinterpret Hinata-sama's kindness," he mutters quietly. "It is no more than that."

I have no idea what he's talking about. I ignore him and keep walking. Once I reach the street, I look around in surprise. My apartment is right in front of me. Just across the street.

* * *

><p><em>May 31, 2012 – I obviously had fun writing Gaara's POV. This is the longest chapter I've ever written so far, lol!<em>

_I know nothing about music. I can't even understand notes. But I do watch a lot of musicals and TV shows about the music industry. That piece that Hinata played on the piano, I got that from a manga. So if there are mistakes I apologize._

_You all are probably thinking GaaHina now, eh? *insert evil laugh* Kukukukuku~ GaaHina will definitely make a cute couple. But that's another fanfic. I will warn you now that Sasuke will win the race... I don't know if I will write from Gaara's POV often. He's too... complex? It's fun, though._

_THANK YOU AS ALWAYS TO THOSE REVIEWS! You guys are amazing~ ^^_


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: **If Naruto is mine, I won't pull that crap about Obito...

* * *

><p><strong>+ HINATA +<strong>

**I HATE A LOT OF THINGS**

_Bad Day - Daniel Powter_

* * *

><p>When I say I hate a lot of things, it doesn't necessarily mean that I hate everything. I particularly hate hating petty things. I don't hate petty things like people being totally ignorant of the fact that I exist or me being disturbed while I'm asleep or how Tenten is always noisy in the mornings or when Shino brings along his insects ALL THE TIME whenever we eat out or Kiba being clueless. No, not those things. I get annoyed but then I don't get annoyed easily. Being annoyed is different.<p>

I hate holidays. With holidays come family gatherings. I hate family gatherings. I just can't stand them. I hate confrontations. I hate moving from one house to another. We do have a lot of house but is it too much to ask to just settle in one place? I feel like I don't have a permanent address. I hate when people think there's something special about me just because I'm a Hyuuga. I hate that they have high expectations of me just because I'm a Hyuuga. I hate that when they realize I'm nothing, they expect me to fail and that I will bring scorn to the family. I hate that no matter how many times I explain myself, no one really gets it and no one really understands. Be that as it may, I have never hated anyone before. Not my contemptuous mother. Not my cold father. Not the entire conceited Hyuuga clan. Not my first boyfriend… I've never hated anyone. Until now.

Fuck you, Uchiha Sasuke. Fuck you.

I hate you for making me say fuck you. Even if it's just in my mind and will probably never say it out loud still… fuck you. I never had a moment's peace since that fucking asshole kissed me in front of his stupid fangirls. And said fangirls are now following me like some mindless hyenas. Seriously…

"Hey, Hyuuga! I heard you're such a slut your mother left you!" one of said mindless hyena cackles after me. Of course, the rest of the pack laughs along stupidly.

If I'm not so used to verbal lashings by now, I would probably take offence. But my mother taught me well. Never show them your true emotions, she said when someone called her a slut.

"Maybe Hyuuga's tired of sleeping with older men. That's why she's running after our Sasuke-kun now."

Fuck you and your Sasuke-kun. I don't say anything, though. I just keep my head down while walking. They'll eventually tire of following me around. Or maybe they'll remember that they have classes. But I'm not getting my hopes up. I don't know what's going on but it's as if they're taking shifts on who's to follow me when some of their members had to go somewhere. There are usually ten people following me around. They never do anything to me. Not directly, at least. They throw insults and stuff. But today they're particularly pissed.

Well, fuck them. I am fucking pissed too. I've taken everything they throw at me in a civilized manner. Until they fucking messed with my things. I was sitting there at the back of Literature class this morning and minding my own business. Kiba appeared outside to borrow a pen and a paper and being the good friend that I am, I went out to lend him a pen and a paper. When I got back to my seat, there was my take-home quiz about Antigone on my table with a 'PROFESSOR I WANNA FUCK YOU' written in bold letters on all the pages. Said professor arrived late as always and the moment he sat down, he called us one by one to hand him the quiz. Of course I did not dare show him the vandalised papers. But it meant I did not show him any paper which meant I did not do the take-home quiz. He gave me a zero.

Zero.

Fucking pen and paper. Fucking fangirls. Fuck you, Uchiha Sasuke.

Zero. I wanna throw myself over a bridge. Better yet, throw Uchiha Sasuke over a bridge… I'm so mean. I stop in my tracks as a pair of high-heels appears in front of me. I look up and to my surprise; I'm suddenly surrounded by the hyenas.

Well, shit.

"Think you're so fucking great to ignore us, Hyuuga?" asks the one in front of me.

I'm relieved to see the absence of pink hair among them. Sakura's a member of Uchiha Sasuke's fan club. I remember her complaining about not being elected as the president. I do know that she's a member of the committee or something. Her and Ino. I'm glad Ino's not here, either. They've been ignoring my calls and text messages but I'm thankful that they're not joining the haters.

"I heard Hyuugas are snobs."

"She thinks we're too poor to waste her breath on."

As assumptions go, that's probably the most ridiculous one I've heard in a long while. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. The biggest and meanest looking of them takes a step closer to me. Ok, all the cussing I've been doing are all lies. I can never tell a person fuck you in their faces, especially if it's someone taller and bigger than me. Crap, I'm starting to shake. They will never dare touch me… right? Right?

"Are you special, huh?" she shoves me with her hand. I stumble but I stand my ground. "Stop looking at me with those freaky eyes!"

She shoves me again. "P-p-please…" Ugh. Stupid stutter. The hyenas burst out laughing, of course. "I d-d-don't w-want… I don't w-w-want any t-t-trouble…"

"The bitch can't even talk properly! So that's why she's been ignoring us!"

"Not so great after all eh, Hyuuga?"

"She's got some nerve acting all princess-like and she can't even talk!"

"Maybe she'll stop acting important if she loses her hair."

Someone grabs my hair from behind. Now if this is some chick-flick, a hero would come and save me. But seeing as this is no movie and there's no more hero in this unfair world and I'm no damsel-in-distress, I might as well –

"Hey! What are you doing?" a voice calls out. I turn my head to the right and see Uchiha Sasuke's friend running towards us. "Let go of her!"

"Stay out of this, Uzumaki!"

"I said, let go." He growls quietly and the person behind me pulls at my hair before letting go. Ouch. My hands reach back to check if I still have hair. Yes, I do. "Go now or I'll report you."

With a few mutterings and threatening looks my way, the hyenas shuffle past. I smooth out my hair while blinking my eyes rapidly. No, I'm not crying. Stop it, eyes.

"Here," the guy named Uzumaki says softly. I thought he's going to offer me a handkerchief for my stupid tears but he's holding out my bag that I didn't know I dropped.

"T-thank y-y-you…"

"Don't mention it!" he grins. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

I shake my head. "N-no…"

"I got here just in time, then! You know, I don't normally take this route but something – I don't know what – urged me to pass this way. Like I have a purpose here or something."

Discreetly wiping at my eyes, I watch him rattle on. This is the guy Kiba's been complaining about. I can see why. A loud mouth like Kiba will never get along with another loud mouth, it seems. But this Uzumaki… he's nice. He notices me looking and stops.

"Sorry," he chuckles, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, by the way. You may call me Naruto. I know who you are. I don't know if you remember but I was with Sasuke in that club. You know, that night?"

I nod. "I r-remember. T-thank you again… for helping…"

"It's fine!" he sort of bellows. Or maybe he just has a naturally loud voice. "Bet Sasuke would flip out if he finds out that I didn't help you."

"Y-you're… a friend of Uchiha's, r-right?"

He looks blankly at me for a second. "Uchiha? Oh, you mean Sasuke? It's so weird to hear someone call him that… but, yeah, we're friends! Known him since we were babies. Why?"

"C-can you please tell him to s-stop calling and s-sending me text messages?" I ask as I start walking to my destination. Uzu – Naruto walks beside me.

"He's sending you creepy perverted messages, huh?" he teases.

"N-no…" I can feel myself blushing. Everyone knows now that I'm being targeted by a pervert and I don't know what to think anymore. I don't even know how Uchiha got my number. "H-he's been… a-asking for… h-he wants to t-talk. Just t-talk."

"And?"

And nothing. "I ignored his c-calls and m-messages. T-there's nothing to talk about."

Naruto sighs. "I don't really blame you if you don't want to deal with him anymore. But the thing with Sasuke is, he's quite persistent when it comes to… if he sets his mind on something. Sorry about that. Sasuke can be a bit… a bit…"

"Delusional?" I mumble helpfully and Naruto bursts out laughing. He doubles over in laughter. I wait for him to finish. That's when I notice that we're right outside the Arts Building.

"Sasuke's been called many things but… delusional?!" Naruto laughs.

I smile. I can't help it. His laughter is contagious. Not to mention the fact that he looks absolutely bright. It's as if he's glowing from the light of the afternoon sun. Looking at his shiny blue eyes and broad smile, I suddenly feel better. It's ridiculous, I know but, he lifts my spirit.

"T-this is my stop."

"Eh?" he looks at the building. "This is where I'm going too!"

"R-really?"

"Yeah! Come on, then. Let's go."

He takes my hand and leads me in. Once inside the elevator, he finally realizes that he's holding my hand and he lets go instantly. We are both blushing. It's really awkward. I sigh in relief when the elevator door opens. We walk up to the Faculty Room together.

"You go first," Naruto says, opening the door. "Sir Kakashi might not be there yet. He's always late, even on lunch breaks."

"Y-you mean Professor Hatake?"

"Yeah."

Crap. What if Professor Hatake shows the paper to Naruto after I leave? What if Naruto sees the paper on the professor's desk afterwards? "N-no! I-it's okay! Y-you go in first." I shove poor Naruto inside the room and close the door.

I wait. When 5 minutes passed, it's safe to assume that Professor Hatake is inside. I rest my forehead against the cold wall. What am I going to say? How am I going to explain? What did I ever do to deserve this humiliation? It all comes back to Uchiha Sasuke. Of all the girls in this university, why does it have to be me? I suppose I can ask him but I think it's better to just avoid him. Maybe the less time he sees me, the faster the chance of his fascination to disappear. And the less I see of him, the less I –

"Hey, you ok?"

I turn my head to the left and almost had a heart attack. Naruto's face is like, a couple of inches away from mine. I gasp and my first instinct is to hide. Which then results to my face hitting the wall.

"Ouch!" I cry out.

"Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to freak you out!"

I rub my forehead. Today is not a good day. "Y-you startled me."

"Sorry," Naruto apologizes again. "Are you alright? Does it hurt?"

"I'll survive," I mutter jokingly when I see how worried he is.

"That's good." he chuckles. "Anyway, I told Sir Kakashi to go easy on you. So you don't have to worry about anything! He's reasonable. Whatever you did, I'm pretty sure he'll give you another chance. So cheer up!"

He gives me a thumb up. I don't feel cheerful at all but I return his smile. If only his confidence could rub off of me. "Thank you."

"You look really cute when you smile like that," he says. "Can I call you Hinata-chan?"

I don't know what to say so I just give him a nod.

"Cool!" he exclaims, grinning. And just like that, the awkward atmosphere is gone. "You know, I really like you. If Sasuke didn't meet you first, I think I'll fall in love with you."

And then awkward atmosphere is back with a vengeance. Naruto didn't notice anything and that his words have struck me speechless and motionless.

"I'll see you around then, Hinata-chan!" he waves at me.

I watch him walk away. If I met you first before Sen, falling in love with you wouldn't have been so bad. It's late for such misgivings, though. Sen broke my heart. I will never fall in love again.

* * *

><p><em>September 17, 2012 – Some random NaruHina there. I don't even know why... Hope you like it, though~ lol! I apologize for the mistakes. I want to update this now so that I can focus on Life, Unexpected...<em>


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: **I will never do anything to hurt Kakashi. So yeah, I'm not Kishimoto.

* * *

><p><strong>+ SAKURA +<strong>

**IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ME**

_White Flag - Dido_

* * *

><p>I can still remember the first time I saw Uchiha Sasuke.<p>

My father was given an invitation to the Uchiha clan's Annual Charity Ball. Mom was ecstatic. Who wouldn't? We're a middle-class family and getting invited to those kinds of things was a huge deal. And so she worked hard on making me pretty for that event. At the time, I didn't really care what I looked like. I didn't even care about my forehead back then. I was around six years old and never quite understood why mom gushed about every little thing inside that humongous mansion. My family might not be that rich but I'm proud to say that at the tender age of six, I was a proper and well-behaved young lady. Unlike some of the children there who ran around the place like it was a playground or something. I definitely remember Uzumaki Naruto as one of those children. You'd think he lived there, the way he ran around the house. He was like this yellow hurricane. His mother had to drag him off the balustrade and out of the house.

And that was when I saw him.

He was standing at the top of the stairs, smirking at the sight of Uzumaki Naruto being dragged away. I didn't know who he was then but I knew he was beautiful. The most beautiful boy I have ever seen. I, along with other girls, followed him around the entire day. He glared the whole time but that was fine with me.

At the age of six, I was in love.

That was the beginning of my unrequited love for Uchiha Sasuke. I begged my parents to transfer me to his school but of course, it wasn't possible. We couldn't afford the tuition fee. I was devastated. But I'm smart so I begged my parents to transfer me to a school near Uchiha Sasuke's. There was one right in front of it. A private school that we couldn't afford as well but since – like I said – I'm smart, I managed to get a scholarship. I was absolutely thrilled when I got accepted.

At the age of seven, I was a stalker.

Every day I would wake up at 5 AM to make myself pretty and to snag the perfect spot right next to the gate of Sasuke-kun's school. I loved that particular vantage point. I would get the first glimpse of him as he rounded the corner and I could watch him walk. Even at seven he already knew how to swag. Every afternoon I would be in that same position once more as I waited for him. He was always one of the last ones to leave the school because of his Judo club. That was my routine for 5 years. Until my father was assigned in Tokyo. Despite the tantrums I made, we had to move.

At the age of twelve, I wanted Uchiha Sasuke to be my first kiss.

It didn't happen. He was in Kyoto. I was in Tokyo. But instead of the distance putting an end to my love for him, it only deepened it even more. I would travel to Kyoto on weekends. I was always there in every one of his basketball matches. I never missed one of his school's festivals. I attended every damn parties, events, festivals, basketball matches and still he couldn't spare me one freaking glance. I'm not that hard to miss (I have pink hair!). I was also there when he had his first kiss. It was nothing dramatic but it was definitely chaotic. Uzumaki Naruto was Sasuke-kun's first kiss. We had beaten him up to a pulp afterwards.

At the age of fifteen, it was Uchiha Sasuke or no one else.

Watching the man you love go from one woman to another in the span of a few days was the most painful experience to go through. But I understood. He was a teenager. He probably wanted someone with a lot more experience than a fellow teenager like him. It was agonizing but I was comforted by the fact that he wasn't serious with any of them. I thought that I still had hope. I deluded myself into thinking that I would be the one. That he would be serious with me. That I have whatever it was he's been looking for.

It was a load of bullshit.

When Sasuke-kun's basketball team won the regional in Junior High there was a victory party and I was there (of course). I prettied myself up. I wore heavy make-up just so I could look older than fifteen. I wore a skimpy black dress that exposed too much of my legs. I wore 5-inch stilettos that killed me every step of the way but I endured it. All to get Uchiha fucking Sasuke to notice me. But at the end of that party he left with someone who looked sluttier than I was. I got legitimately drunk that night. Had a colossal hangover the next day. Was thoroughly chastised by mom and reprimanded by dad. And then, oh yeah, I was heartbroken. I sort of gave up on Sasuke-kun after that. 'Sort of' because it only lasted for about a month. 28 days, actually. For 28 days, I distanced myself from him, took a break from all the fangirling activities and basically lived a normal life. I would be lying if I say I did well. I was miserable. I missed him. So bad. Then on the 28th day I saw him again. I knew at that moment that there was no one else for me but Uchiha Sasuke.

Which is why I'm here in this stupid club stupidly named S.T.F.U (Sasuke Totally Fuckable Uchiha). How they came up with it, I don't want to know. Apparently, the fan club have been here in the university since before Sasuke-kun reached Senior High. I glance at the club president sitting in front. She's signing some petition to have the club recognized by the university. With that name, I doubt it. But watching people make a fool of themselves is fun so I kept quiet.

The club president sets aside the petition and leans forward. "What's the update on Hyuuga?"

Everyone snickers. "Scared as shit."

"Yeah, she wouldn't let go of her bag."

"She emptied her locker the other day because of the snakes."

"That was my idea!"

"Who cares?"

What a piece of trash. All of them. Hinata's tough. It'll take more than snakes to… whatever it was they want Hinata to do.

"She didn't seem scared of the snakes, though. I saw her roll her eyes."

"She's still unperturbed. What else can we do about it," the club president murmurs, looking in my direction. What now? I already gave you her schedule. "Sakura-chan?"

I'm not scared of her or of anyone in this room. I could say no. I give her a shrug instead.

"Give us Hyuuga's address!" one girl demanded.

Stupid. "You want to get arrested? I told you, attacking her outside the campus is impossible. She's being followed by bodyguards. Before you can even sneak up on her they will have you down in an instant."

"Is she really that important?" asks someone who lived under a rock all her life.

"Her family's rich. Filthy rich."

"What will happen if we get caught bullying her then?"

"Her father will fire your father."

"Her father will have your family bankrupt."

I seriously doubt it. From Hinata's very few stories, she and her father were not close. She said he doesn't care about her. I remain quiet.

"Any food allergies, Haruno-san?" someone asks.

I could stay quiet. "None. She was kidnapped when she was three. She was taught not to accept anything from strangers."

The club secretary is writing everything down. I never approve of bullying but here I am. Feeding these bullies information about someone who was my friend. I know it wasn't Hinata's fault that Sasuke-kun took an interest on her but still… it hurts thinking about it. It hurts to even look at her. She's not someone who will make people turn around for a second look. Guys will never whistle in appreciation whenever she walks by. And yet, of all the men, she caught the attention of Uchiha Sasuke. To make matters worse and unfair, Hinata doesn't care about him.

The backdoor bursts open and fuck… it's Sasuke-kun. All around me, the members are going crazy. Ovaries exploded as Sasuke-kun walk towards the table in front. He really does have a sexy walk. And he's also very pissed.

"S-s-sasuke-kun!" the club president stutters, visibly shaking with excitement. "This is such a wonderful surprise! If we had known you'll be here we would've –"

"Shut up." Sasuke-kun mutters quietly, halting by the table.

His back's facing us so I can't see his expression but the club president's smile gets wiped off her face and she scrambles away. The room grows quiet as Sasuke-kun browse through the things on the table. As though he's looking for something. I do not like this at all. After what seemed like hours, he finally lifts something up – the attendance sheet.

"Are these all the members?" he asks no one in particular but the club president answers. Eagerly, I might add. The fool…

"Yes, Sasuke-kun! Our numbers go higher everyday and –"

"Leave Hyuuga Hinata alone." Sasuke-kun warns everyone. He raises the sheet. "Or I will have every one of you expelled from this university. If you really know me, then you should know this is no empty threat. Again, leave Hyuuga Hinata alone."

He leaves and I can't appreciate his walk this time. He's right. I do know him and I wish I don't. It hurts so bad knowing that it's because of Hinata. That Uchiha Sasuke, for the first time in his life, might be serious about a girl.

At the age of eighteen, I was ready to let go.

I have come to realise that it's not going to be me. I'm fine with that. As long as it's not Ino… or Hinata.

* * *

><p><em>October 26, 2012 – I don't really like Sakura (I don't hate her either) but I have to write about the fangirls. I'm not sure if I want her to be a villain or what. But we'll see…<em>

_P.S. Next chapter is Sasuke. It's been so long. I miss him. Who's excited? ME!_


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: **Naruto's not my baby.

* * *

><p><strong>+ SASUKE +<strong>

**LOOK AT ALL THE FUCKS I GIVE**

_With or Without You – U2_

* * *

><p>"What the fuck are we doing cleaning these fucking basketballs?" grumbles Naruto, scrubbing furiously. "Why the fuck are we here instead of practicing over there? I'm here to play not to clean, dammit!"<p>

He's been complaining for the last half hour. He never shuts up, seriously. I ignore him. Doing my best to ignore him, more like. If anyone's got the right to complain about this, it's me. I'm Uchiha fucking Sasuke. I'm the best fucking player here and the coach made me clean the balls along with the other four snot-faced, idiotic freshmen (Naruto included). I glance up at the practice that I should be in and I conclude that the rest of the Todai Basketball Team is average players.

"You can't tell me you're ok with this, Sasuke?" Naruto asks.

No, I'm not ok with this. But since I'm still kinda annoyed at Naruto for talking to Hyuuga Hinata, I say nothing… Not that I fucking care who she talked to. You're done with her, Sasuke, remember?

"Suck it up, idiot." I reply to Naruto. Because I don't care about Hyuuga Hinata anymore.

"What's wrong, rich kids?" a snide voice asks. "Don't like cleaning? Too beneath you?"

"Shut up, dogbreath!" Naruto exclaims. "And don't butt in on other people's conversations. You don't have manners at all. How can Hinata-chan be friends with someone like you?"

I don't care.

"Stop calling her that!" Inuzuka Kiba retorts.

"She said I can call her Hinata-chan!"

I don't fucking care. So why do I feel like throwing a ball at Naruto every time he says 'Hinata-chan'? Damn her for making me go through these emotions I can't fucking explain. She also made me do stupid things. Acquiring personal information – class schedules, address, and phone number – on Hyuuga Hinata was a piece of cake. And the things I did after finding them out was utter humiliation. What was I thinking? Well, fuck, I wasn't thinking at all. I can't fucking believe I was reduced to stooping down so low as to _wait around for her_. I acted like some boy with a crush. Or worst, a stalker. Fuck.

And as though the world hasn't had enough fun at my expense, she rejected me. _Me_. Didn't she realize that I don't go asking girls to be my girlfriend? Didn't she realize that it was the first time I even considered to be in a committed relationship? Why didn't she say yes? _"I don't have any intention to be in a relationship. And even if I am, it won't be with you,"_ she said. I may be a genius but I don't quite understand what she meant by that. And it's been bugging me for days now. So she has no intention of being in a relationship. Why? She's too busy studying? That's bullshit. And even if she has the intention, it won't be with me. WHY?

There's a growing pile of questions in my mind, Hyuuga Hinata.

I would like it very much to have these questions answered but she ignored my calls and text messages. She humiliated me. Again. Does she even know that I don't bother with phone calls and text messages?

"So, Uchiha, I heard that you gave up on Hinata," Inuzuka calls out. Is he done annoying Naruto?

"I didn't give up on her." I mutter quietly. I look over at the practice and can't help but notice the coach's absence. Perfect. "I just realised she wasn't worth wasting my time on."

Inuzuka's face turns red with anger. "You fucking bastard." Before he can lunge at me, the other freshmen holds him back. "You stay away from her!"

Because I'm not done annoying him and I so want to punch something right now… "Such a shame." I drawl slowly. "She does have very nice tits."

Inuzuka breaks free and charges at me. His face screams murder. I don't care. I'll beat him up before he can lay a finger on me. Let's see who gets humiliated now, Hyuuga Hinata.

Naruto interferes though. He puts himself in front of me. "Stop it, Sasuke!"

"Fuck off."

Some of the freshmen managed to catch a growling Inuzuka just in time. They're struggling to restrain him. Naruto and I are just standing here, as if we're talking about the weather.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Out of the way, Naruto."

"Calm the fuck down, teme!" he leans closer to whisper angrily, "We're in the gym! We could get kicked out of the team if you pick a fight!"

"What's going on over there?" Hidan yells from across the gym. The rest of the team are still on practice.

"Nothing, senpai!" Naruto answers back, faking a laugh. "Just a little… talk."

Hidan doesn't buy it. I can tell by his smirk. "Yeah, keep talking!"

"Take him over there," Naruto instructs the freshmen still restraining Inuzuka.

"We are not done yet, Uchiha." Inuzuka imparts before he let himself be dragged away.

I didn't bother with a reply. Wordlessly, I sit back down on the floor and resume cleaning the fucking balls. Naruto follows suit.

"The fuck, teme. You looked ready to fucking commit murder right there. What the fuck is wrong with you? How could you say that about Hinata-chan?"

He looks ready to beat me to a pulp himself. "Fuck you."

"Teme!" Naruto snarls. He clutches the ball as though he's going to throw it at me, decides against it and turns to face the other direction.

It's all your _Hinata-chan's_ fault. Why did she talk to you and gave me the metaphorical finger? Naruto might think I'm jealous of him (yeah, right) so it's better if I don't tell him that. It did not stop me punching Naruto in the stomach the first time he told me about his encounter with Hyuuga Hinata, though. And then I acted without thinking again. I went to that stupid fanclub. There was no way in hell I'm letting Naruto be the hero. I should be the one saving Hinata from the evil fangirls, seeing as those are my fangirls. And so I, Uchiha Sasuke, intervened. Something I never did. Before, I would pass by those fangirls fighting each other and never spare them a glance. I simply did not care. And yet, when Naruto told me that Hyuuga Hinata is being harassed, I just reacted. I should not have done that. But it was too late. The message arrived too late.

"_Hyuuga Hinata rejected you on purpose. It was part of her plan to make you fall for her."_

That was the note I got yesterday. It could be from one of those fangirls. But how did they know she rejected me? The only ones who know about it are Shikamaru, Chouji and… Naruto. I look around. There's only the two of us in this corner. Narrowing my eyes, I throw the filthy rug at the blond head in front of me.

Naruto turns his head slowly. "What the fuck is your problem now?"

"Did you tell anyone that I was rejected?"

"Rejected?" he repeats, looking confused for a moment. "Oh! That! No, I didn't tell anyone. Why?"

"Nothing."

"Fucking moody bastard." Naruto mutters darkly, turning around once more.

If what the note said is true… Well, it is definitely much more acceptable than Hyuuga Hinata's imperviousness to my person. "Naruto," I murmur.

"What?" he snaps.

"Do you think Hyuuga Hinata was being honest and genuine when she rejected me?"

"What do you mean?" Naruto asks, turning around to face me.

"Maybe she did it on purpose to, you know, make me fall for her." Fuck, that was embarrassing. Good thing I don't blush easily.

"Why would Hinata-chan do that?" he wonders. "Look, a fangirl would do that. Not Hinata-chan. And believe me when I say that Hinata-chan is not your closet-fangirl. She wants absolutely nothing to do with you. Like, seriously. She even asked me to tell you to stop calling her. Only I did not tell you because I got distracted when my ramen arrived. Good thing I was already done telling you about your fangirls bullying her which was your fault, by the way, but that's not the point –"

I hold up a hand. "Stop. You're not making any sense. She asked you to tell me to stop calling her?"

"That's right."

"But you forgot to tell me?"

"Yeah, because the ramen that I ordered arrived, remember?"

"Whatever." I go back to cleaning the fucking balls.

**xXx**

A couple of hours later, the practice I needed did not help improve my mood. Water is pouring over my back in hot rivulets and even this is not enough to soothe the tension away from my body. She wanted me to stop calling her. She could've sent me a text saying 'stop calling, you asshole' but no, she wouldn't waste her time doing that.

Hyuuga Hinata.

Everything goes back to her. No matter how hard I try to stop thinking about her, my mind won't listen. I am filled with questions and wanting and longing to see her again and the feel of her lips against mine is still haunting me and fuck I'm getting hard. Not a good idea when the locker room is full of naked men. This is fucking unbelievable. You need to stop thinking on your own, Little Sasuke. I've been screwing the entire weekend and Little Sasuke's still not satisfied. Probably because I kept picturing that it was Hyuuga Hinata under me rather than some random chick I met in the club. After I fucked what's-her-name, I felt empty and unsatisfied. I have no idea what that means. I open my eyes as I hear a noise on the shower stall to my left.

Naruto starts singing. "I'm all alone in the big city, thrown away like an empty can~"

"Who is that?!" Inuzuka yells from one of the stalls.

"If love is love until we know everything about each other~"

"SHUT UP, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!"

"… Then let's sleep forever~"

I will never say this out loud but thanks to these two idiots that my 'small problem' has disappeared before it can become a 'big problem'. No one else is complaining about Naruto but Inuzuka. Only the freshmen are left in the showers but the rest of the team are still in the locker room.

"UNTIL THE WORLD COME TO AN END~"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

I've known Naruto all my life and loathed though I am to admit it, I'm used to his singing. Not at first but eventually. It did take a lot of time getting used to. Naruto sings in the bathroom all the time – when he takes a shower and when he takes a shit.

"WE WON'T BE APART! I WISHED IT FOR COUNTLESS NIGHTS. WHY DO ONLY THE IRRETRIEVABLE TIMES SHINE? EVEN THE WORN-OUT HEART IS BROKEN~"

I will never admit this out loud as well but Naruto does have an amazing voice. I do hope though that I'm not the only one who sort of appreciates it. That would be weird.

"MELANCHOLICALLY FLEETING THOUGHTS… ON THIS TRAGEDY NIGHT~"

"I'LL GIVE YOU A TRAGIC NIGHT, YOU MORON!"

"THE FUCK!"

I hear more curses coming from Naruto's stall. A grunt. A scream. More curses. More screams. A thud. They will have the whole team in here with this commotion. Sure enough, I hear more voices. Sighing, I grab my towel, cover Little Sasuke and walk out of the shower. I raise my eyebrows at the sight that greets me when I peer in on the stall next to mine – two naked idiots rolling on the floor. It's a shame I don't have a camera with me. This is a perfect blackmail stuff right here.

"Do something, Uchiha!" someone pleads. It's hard to tell who. There are so many people here and it's far too noisy with all the cheering and there's no way I'm going in-between _that_.

"Hn." I look away from the two naked idiots and tied the towel round my waist. That is when I notice Coach Ibiki. Walking towards us with an almighty scowl. Fuck. You're going to be in big trouble, Naruto.

**xXx**

"Why the fuck did they have to call my mom?" Naruto whispers furiously. We're in the infirmary. He's already been whacked in the head twice by the abominable nurse for being noisy, which added to his injuries – a bruised eye and a cut on his lip. Inuzuka was less fortunate. He slipped and there was blood. But nothing serious, said the doctor. "What are we, in first grade?"

"You sure acted like one." I mumble dryly without taking my eyes from the blue-haired girl sitting three beds away.

"He started it!" Naruto retorts, totally _not_ acting like a first grader.

Most of the team went home already but I stayed behind because Naruto's being a pain in the ass and Hyuuga Hinata showed up. Not that I care that she's here or any shit like that. I just can't look away, that's all. Especially when she's sitting on Inuzuka's bed, leaning close to Inuzuka's face as they talk to each other in hushed voices. Did she really have to sit on his bed? I grabbed a fucking chair to sit on.

Captain Haku finally makes an appearance. We've been waiting since forever. "You can go now, the both of you." He looks at Naruto and Inuzuka in disappointment. "Your punishments will be given next week."

"Fucking great," Naruto grumbles under his breath as he gathers his belongings. "I get a fucking punishment and my mom's probably on her way here. Fan-fucking-tastic."

I watch him dash out of the infirmary without a second glance. "He's a little upset." I explain to our captain who looks offended by Naruto's lack of respect. "His mother is a bit terrifying."

"He should learn how to control his temper." Captain Haku mutters, frowning. "He was close to being kicked out of the team."

"I agree about his temper but it wasn't entirely his fault." I say in Naruto's defence 'cause what the hell? Kicking someone out of the team because of that small scuffle? "He was attacked."

"Kiba-san wouldn't have attacked Naruto-san if he was not provoked."

"Naruto was just singing. Singing. How was that a provocation?"

"That's what I told the coach. But he noticed the animosity between Naruto-san and Kiba-san. He's not impressed. We're a team. We should be working together, not trying to kill each other." Captain Haku sighs tiredly. "I'll go talk to Kiba-san. See you next practice."

I glance at the twosome before I leave the room. Hyuuga Hinata is patting Inuzuka's shoulder. Comforting him? They seem _really_ close. I wonder how long they've been friends… The door opens again. Hyuuga Hinata stops short when she sees me. She turns to walk away and I should let her. I should.

"You owe me." I call quietly to her instead.

She halts. "I owe you nothing."

"Are the fangirls bothering you lately?"

She turns around to face me. "What… what did you do?"

I shrug. "Threatened them. I helped you out. You owe me."

"I didn't need your help. It was your fault in the first place."

"Should I be blamed for how their minds function?"

"They're in love with you."

I laugh. "They're not in love with me. They're fanatics. Nothing more."

She rolls her eyes. "What they see in you, I will never know."

"Let's talk. You owe me that."

"We're talking now," she points out.

"Not here. Somewhere private."

"Why?" she asks suspiciously. "Can't we… here will do. But first, you have to apologize."

"Apologize?"

"Aren't you going to apologize to me for what you did?"

"What did I do?"

"I don't know. Kissed me? Twice? Without my consent?"

"There's nothing to apologize for. The first one was to declare my intention of wanting you to be my girlfriend. The second one was your fault. You were seducing me the whole time. That short skirt was sinfully distracting. You should wear short skirts more often. Your legs are wonderful."

I let my eyes travel up her legs, which are sadly covered by another one of her long skirts. She blushes when she sees me staring. "P-pervert."

I smirk. "So how about that talk? We'll just talk. I will not lay a finger on you. I give you my word as an Uchiha."

She bites her lip in hesitation. My gaze zeroes in on that. I just gave my word and here she is, tempting me to break it after 5 seconds. "W-why?"

"I have to understand something that's been bugging me. The more I wonder about it, the more I think about it. And the more I think about it, the more it pisses me off. Put me out of my misery and answer my questions so that we can part ways and never see each other ever again."

**xXx**

I feel awkward as shit.

It's like I'm on my first date or something. And I've never been in a date and this is not even a date. This is… whatever this is. I glance at Hyuuga Hinata sitting on the passenger seat. Of my car. Hyuuga Hinata is in my fucking car looking so fucking perfect. I grip the steering wheel hard. You promised not to touch her, Uchiha Sasuke. Although… is it just me or is the air thick with tension? I glance at my quiet passenger again. She's looking out of the window, clutching her bag as though she's hanging on for dear life. Is she nervous? Because of me?

"P-p-please s-slow d-down…" she appeals shakily, closing her eyes. She's nervous, alright. But not because of me. "A-and p-please keep y-your eyes on the r-r-r-road."

Right. Car accident. Maybe she still has post-traumatic disorder. A few minutes passed since I slowed down and she's still as tense as ever. Maybe a little music will help soothe her nerves. We both jump, however, when I turn on the player and metal rock starts blasting deafeningly. I turn it off at once. I forgot I was listening to Slipknot this morning. That breaks the tension, though, as I catch her fighting off a smile. She looks really pretty.

"You don't have your bike with you."

"Y-your fangirls destroyed it." she replies with just a teeny bit of stutter. She's not nervous anymore but my statement made her remember that she doesn't like me. The small smile is gone and she's back to being wary. But she's still pretty.

"How do you go to school?" I'm curious, ok?

"By train."

"Ah."

She grows quiet again. I try not to think of the fact that so far I've been the only one asking questions and initiating a conversation. As though it's not clear enough that she's not interested in me. I'm fine with that. Really. I swerve the car to the right and look over the rear view mirror.

"Your bodyguard's following us. How did they know you're here?" I ask. I don't normally talk this much. Or this curious.

"My cellphone."

"They're tracking you? You're ok with that?"

I see her shrugging from the corner of my eyes. "It wouldn't make any difference if I say no."

"And yet they were nowhere to be found when you were assaulted."

"They're not allowed inside the campus and I wasn't assaulted."

"Naruto said someone had you in a headlock!" I exclaim as anger suddenly flare in me just thinking about it.

"Someone pulled my hair from behind. Why are you shouting?"

That's even worst. They dared to touch her hair? "Because you can throw a fucking punch! You punched me and gave me a fucking bruise but you couldn't punch whoever that was?"

"I was about to but then Naruto-kun showed up and – why am I explaining myself?"

Fucking beats me. I force myself to calm down. I don't even understand why I'm so mad – at her, at those fangirls, at her bodyguards and at her stupid _Naruto-kun_. I can't wait to have this conversation over with so that I can stop giving a crap about Hyuuga Hinata.

I drive to the restaurant in silence after that. We stayed quiet when we reached our destination. It was one of those fancy restaurants with a sky view. I've had meals here with my family before. The maître d' leads us to one of the rooms where we can dine in privacy. This is usually by reservation but I'm an Uchiha so one call to them earlier and I get to have a room… I open the door for Hyuuga Hinata. Wait, I did? I never open the door for anyone but my mother. Hyuuga Hinata seems frozen on the spot.

I clear my throat. "Something wrong?"

She shakes her head. "No, n-nothing." She walks hesitantly inside and stares at the table. Of course, a fancy restaurant like this means a fancy table setting. Hyuuga Hinata picks up a spoon and snuffs out the candles with it. "T-this is not a d-date."

No candle-lit dinner then. I look at the maître d'. "Turn on the lights and draw the curtains. We're not here to appreciate the view."

The maître d' goes about his business while I take a seat. There are only 2 chairs so Hyuuga Hinata had no choice but to take the one opposite mine. Bet she would choose to sit away from me because _this is not a date._

"Would you like to talk first or to eat?" I ask her.

"T-the food's already been prepared." She points out, looking at the food-laden table.

And so we eat first. Well, she eats. I, on the other hand, can't seem to function properly at the moment. I'm too busy staring at her. For some odd reason. She doesn't eat like Chouji but she's definitely enjoying the food. By now she has tasted everything. She finally notices that I'm still here as she gets another helping of the pasta.

"A-aren't you hungry?" she asks, blushing.

A vision of her saying the same thing while lying in my bed flashes through my mind. Fuck my overactive imagination. I push away my plate with the half-eaten steak. "I'm done eating."

"O-oh…" she glances sadly at her plate. "I…"

"It's fine. Take your time."

I lean back on the chair and pretend that I'm busy with my phone. After a small hesitation, she picks up her spoon (not the one she used to snuff out the candles, mind you) again. She's really, there's no other word for it, adorable. But what the fuck am I doing? I should stop staring at her. I should stop marvelling at every little thing she does because after tonight I will not bother with her anymore. I should stay away from her as soon as possible. Before I go crazy. I already did a lot of shameful and stupid things because of her. It's best to take a step back now than later. This attraction might escalate into something more dangerous. And I'm not sure if I'm prepared for that.

After 20 minutes, Hyuuga Hinata pushes away her plate and wipes her mouth. I look away. "W-what are you going to do with the leftovers?" she asks.

"The management will take care of that." I tuck away my phone. I've been playing a game while I waited for her to finish.

"Did you know that a lot of people are starving? My roommate is probably one of them right now. I was supposed to do the cooking tonight."

She's unbelievable. Don't smile. I opt with a smirk. "So?"

"So…" she says slowly. "Can I have the leftovers?"

I glance at the discreet maître d' standing in a corner. "Have these wrapped for the lady and then you may leave."

The maître d' bows and begins to clear the table. "Thank you." Hyuuga Hinata tells him with a grateful smile. Something tells me I will never be the receiving end of that thank you, let alone a grateful smile like that. "T-thank you, Uchiha."

I was wrong about the thank you but not with the smile. No smile. But it's not like it was a big deal. "Hn."

Some time has passed since the maître d' left. I've been staring at her and she's been looking everywhere but me. If I still care – which I don't anymore – I would've wanted those pearlescent eyes to see only me.

She starts fidgeting. She glances up. "I-I thought you wanted to talk about something?"

"Why did you say no?"

She blinks in confusion. "I already told you why…"

"You said you have no intention of being in a relationship. Why?"

"Studies," she answers, shrugging.

"And you said that even if you have the intention it wouldn't be with me. Why?"

"Because you're Uchiha Sasuke?"

I frown. What? "Explain."

"W-well… you're very, very popular."

"So it's because of my reputation? Then that means if I'm not popular you… might become interested in me?" Be still, my heart.

She blinks again. "U-uhm… n-no, I don't think so."

Just a second ago my heartbeat's going crazy and now it's gone. "Why not?"

"Because you're still Uchiha Sasuke."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"W-well, I'm not going to lie. I admit you're very handsome –" Shit, there goes my pulse again. "– but that's why I'm not interested. You attract attention like a morsel of food on the ground would attract ants."

I'm basically likened to _a morsel of food on the ground_. How flattering. "I see."

But apparently she's not done with the torture. "And aside from that, you're a bit of a pervert. Being kissed by someone I don't know was creepy. And you didn't even apologise."

She pauses, taking a deep breath. She looks angry and for some reason I find it… fascinating. "Go on. What else?"

"There, that attitude. Your ego is bigger than Mt. Fuji. You're a stalker. You made my university life a hell. Thanks to you I got a zero in Literature, people are talking about me behind my back, I was bullied by your fangirls. They did a lot of horrible things to me and… two of my friends like you… and now they're not talking to me."

I lean back on the chair, mulling over the things she said. If I still cared – which, again, I don't anymore – those words would have a profound effect on me. "Ah."

"C-can I ask you something, though?" she asks tentatively.

Part of me wants to say no but I'm curious. "Sure."

"W-w-what… I mean… W-why… w-why were you interested in me?" I raise my eyebrows. "I mean, I'm not pretty like most girls… and I don't standout at all but you… you s-showed interest and p-pursued me. Why?" she looks at me expectantly but I remain quiet. She frowns. "Is it because I'm a Hyuuga?"

"And?"

It looks like she reached a conclusion in her head. "I heard that your father is aspiring to become the next prime minister. Is your family in need of help from the Hyuuga clan?"

I laugh out loud. If there's one thing both clans have in common, it's arrogance. "Last I checked, my father is the leader of the Democratic Party while your clan is the number one financial backer of the Liberal Democratic Party. The Uchiha clan will never be in need of help from anyone. But what do you know of politics?"

"U-uhm… well, nothing…"

"Leave the politics to the political junkies of our respective families." I advise her.

"So why were you interested in me?"

Love at first sight. But after everything she said, I can't make a fool of myself again. I can't look more pathetic than I already am. I get to my feet. "I was bored. I thought it'll be fun but I was wrong." It looks like she couldn't believe what she's hearing. Good. "I apologise about everything. You don't have to worry anymore. Like I said, this is the last time."

And so I walk away.

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><p><em>November 18, 2012 – Told you I'm excited! This chapter's almost beaten the longest chapter I've ever written (Gaara's) LOL! Actually, I had an intense debate with myself (I'm crazy that way). I wanted to split this chapter and have the restaurant scene in Hinata's pov but then I thought it might take me a long time to finish that and I don't want to leave you guys hanging so…<em>

_By the way, Naruto sings Sekai Ga Owaru Made Wa by Wands. It's from the OST of Slam Dunk. I love that song._

_Thank you for the lovely reviews! They bring a smile to my face~ ^^_


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER: **I AM BEYOND PISSED WITH THE MANGA RIGHT NOW.

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><p><strong>+ SHIKAMARU +<strong>

**OF IRONIES AND CLICH****É****S**

_Give Me Love – Ed Sheeran_

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><p>"You're totally her errand boy," Chouji mutters, stuffing more chips in his mouth.<p>

"I'm not anyone's errand boy." Which is a lie. I do errand for my mother every day. And that's perfectly understandable. She's my mother.

"Keep telling yourself that, buddy."

"Shut up." I press the button for Sasuke's floor on the elevator with annoyance. "This is all your fault. And Ino's. I had nothing to do with anything."

"You know that Sasuke might end up killing her if she shows up." Chouji says quietly. He stops stuffing his face and puts the bag of chips down. He's nervous. "Sasuke might end up killing me too. He's been a little weird these days."

Further reason why we must not show our faces. Weird Sasuke is never a good thing. I can't figure out what he's going to do… or what his reaction would be. Anything to do with Hyuuga Hinata is a subject a little touchy to discuss with Sasuke at the moment. I don't exactly know what happened between them but 3 days ago, Sasuke didn't go to school and stayed locked up in his apartment. Naruto said he's being an emo bastard but I don't think so. I think that Sasuke's taking the rejection badly. He's probably already taking it badly when the note, the stupid note, made an appearance. That stupid note could be a contributing factor to the way Sasuke's behaving and that's why we're here.

"Troublesome," I mutter just as the elevator door opens. I sigh at the inevitable. "I don't think Sasuke had it in him to kill a human being. However, this may be the last time we get to call him a friend."

Trust is a big deal to Sasuke. Chouji broke that trust. Ah, well. It's been great hanging out with the cool kids. If Chouji and I are lucky today, we might survive this with just a few scratches. I can go against Sasuke mentally. Physically… the difference is enormous. I don't stand a chance. The guy is a basketball player. He's 5'11" and I'm 5'4". He's got muscles, I'm all bones. So yeah, I'm scared of Uchiha Sasuke.

Chouji swallows fearfully as we stare at our doom that is Sasuke's door. "Any strategies?"

I look at him. He's 5'5" and big. He was a member of the Sumo Club for 5 minutes (he quit when the captain forbade him to eat chips and junk foods) and I think he's got more chance against Sasuke than me. If Chouji's not such a softie, that is.

"We run for it." I sigh. "You run and I'll try to hold him back. I did nothing wrong so maybe he won't hurt me."

"I can't leave you behind!" Chouji protests.

"Let's hope for the best, shall we?" I smile at him in reassurance. I ring the doorbell. A few tense moments later, the door opens.

Sasuke surveys us coldly for a while before saying, "You guys lost?"

Shit. He knows. Of course he knows. Naruto may be a loudmouth but he will never do something like that to Sasuke. That leaves me and Chouji. But he doesn't know yet which one of us did it.

"I'M SO SORRY!" Chouji exclaims all of a sudden, kneeling down.

"Chouji!" I cry in surprise. What's he doing?

"I'M SO SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN IT, SASUKE! I SWEAR! EVERYTHING'S MY FAULT! SHIKAMARU HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! INO AND I WERE DRINKING AND MY TONGUE SLIPPED AND I ACCIDENTALLY TOLD HER THAT HYUUGA HINATA REJECTED YOU. I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS PLANNING SOMETHING! IT WAS MY FAULT! I'M SORRY!"

Sasuke's face is unreadable so I plant myself between him and Chouji. Just in case. "I only found out about the note today. Ino told me what she did." I explain gravely as Chouji sobs pathetically on the floor. "She's been feeling guilty and asked me to tell you that none of it – the things she wrote on the note – is true. She apologizes for the misunderstanding she caused."

"Whatever." Sasuke shrugs. "It doesn't matter anymore."

I am dumbfounded. So is Chouji. He stops sobbing to stare open-mouthed at Sasuke. We were expecting a fistfight. Heck, Chouji was convinced that Sasuke will murder him.

"Stop looking so damn surprised." Sasuke mutters dryly. "It's not like I'm going to slaughter you." Chouji and I exchange a look. "Wait for me here. I'll just grab my wallet and we'll go out."

"Go out where?" Chouji asks.

Sasuke smirks that little smirk I haven't seen in a while. I think I know where we're going.

**xXx**

We watch as Sasuke leaves the VIP room with a brunette clinging on his arm. One by one, the other girls start getting up to leave. Now that Sasuke's gone they have no one else to impress. I don't care. Geishas are not my thing. Chouji's a little disappointed, though. Even if he did nothing but stare at them all night. Sasuke's the first one to lose his virginity. Actually, he's still the only one enjoying casual sex. Naruto called it whoring.

I pour more wine in my glass. I should not be drinking. I have classes tomorrow but what the hell. Sasuke already paid for everything. It'll be a shame to let it all go to waste.

"I think he's already over Hyuuga Hinata," says Chouji as he look at the table excitedly. It's still full of food. If you put Sasuke and a whole bunch of food in the same room, the girls will gravitate more to Sasuke.

"I don't think so."

"What d'you mean? He just walked out with another girl."

"He's trying. But it's still there. His eyes are haunted by the image of someone else. He's not really seeing the girl." I don't know if Sasuke even realized how hurt he was with Hyuuga Hinata's rejection. Or, it could be that he realized how strong his attraction towards her is and decided to end things before it gets worse. For both him and Hyuuga Hinata.

"You're over-analyzing things again," Chouji mumbles, placing a platter of steak in front of me. "Here, eat. It's no good drinking on an empty stomach."

Sasuke probably has no idea what's going on with him. He's falling for Hyuuga Hinata. Hard. But Sasuke being Sasuke, he's most likely repulsed by the idea of him falling in love. And that's why he decided to let go. He ended it before it begun. Wise move. I wish I did the same thing before my own unrequited love started.

"It's too bad about Hinata, though." Chouji rattles on. "It's the first time Sasuke showed interest in someone but turned out she's not interested. Man, that must've been a huge blow on his ego."

"Yeah."

"But, you know, he's moving on. Good for him, huh?"

"He thinks he's moving on but his heart already belongs to Hinata."

Chouji gapes at me. Then he bursts out laughing. "You can't be serious! Some of the women he slept with called him a heartless bastard, you know… Not that I'm saying he's a really bad person just… I can't imagine him falling in love or something…"

It might be that he already fell in love. But this is Uchiha Sasuke. The guy saw that as a weakness. I remember what he said to Chouji earlier…

"_Don't just stare at them, Chouji." Sasuke said as the geishas danced. "Play with them. And never expect that something special will happen. Screw them first before they can screw with you. Women should be nothing more than just playthings."_

He said it loud enough for the women to hear. They didn't seem offended by it. But then maybe they were trained to keep their thoughts to themselves. If Ino was here, would she still love Sasuke?

"If what you're saying is true," Chouji mutters, brandishing a chicken leg, "which probably is 'cause you're always right, then Sasuke's in an unrequited love… Like you."

"Shut up."

**xXx**

At half past twelve, I open my bedroom door to a sight so annoyingly familiar. No matter how many times I tell her to stop lying on my bed, Ino never listens. There she is now. In her tank top and boyshorts, sprawled on my bed like it's nobody's business. Even if we grew up together, she shouldn't be so freaking comfortable on a man's bed. Sure, she doesn't see me as a man but still…

"Get off my bed, Ino." I mutter tiredly, closing the door.

She scrambles to a sitting position. "How'd it go?"

"Better than we expected."

"That's good," she sighs in relief. "What did he say? Was he upset?"

Yes, he was upset. But not with you.

"Did he get hurt by that note?" Ino asks again worriedly, still not leaving my bed. "Did I hurt him?"

"Quit worrying about Sasuke," I snap at her. I think I'm a bit drunk. "You should be worrying about Hinata. She doesn't need you to spread malicious lies about her. You're supposed to be her friend."

She glares at me with those beautiful eyes. "Shika…"

"What?" I exclaim in annoyance. Her eyes usually give me a sense of calm. Not tonight. "Are you going to abandon another friend because of Sasuke?"

She finally gets off my bed but stalks over to where I'm standing in the middle of the room. "Dammit, Shikamaru! Sakura and I had a little fall-out a long time ago! I didn't abandon her and we worked things out. And you know how guilty I am for doing that to Sasuke-kun… and Hinata… I… I'm not going to abandon Hinata… I don't want to… but… it's so unfair!" she sobs on my shoulder.

Life _is_ unfair.

Look what it did to me. I'm in love with my best friend. That is as cliché as cliché gets. This girl sobbing for another man, I'm in love with her. I remember saying to myself when I was 10 that I will never fall in love with someone like Yamanaka Ino. But, of course, life decided to screw with me.

3 years ago, at the Summer Festival. Chouji, Ino and I were watching the fireworks by the riverbank. Ino turned to me and smiled. My heart started beating faster. Bumping into someone, running into the same shed to take shelter from the rain, or sitting next to each other at the back of a bus… I thought that falling in love would be special. I never thought that I would fall because of something like that. Summer 3 years ago. Ino was smiling at me under the fireworks. My first love… started out just like that.

Life has a nasty sense of humor.

I'm in love with Ino. But she's in love with Uchiha Sasuke. Not only is my love a cliché, it's also one-sided. What's with that, eh? It would've been great if I fell in love with a total stranger. Heck, it'll be fine with me if the girl's ugly. At least I won't get jealous every time some dude checks her out. I hate being jealous. Especially over Ino.

"Sasuke will never like you, Ino." I must be drunker than I thought. It's one of those things that you should never tell your best friend. That one truth that will hurt them more than anything else. I told Ino numerous times before to give up on Sasuke. I never told her that she doesn't stand a chance, though. Not in a brutally honest way at least. She lifts up her head and looks at me in the eyes. She looks upset. I should tell her I'm drunk. "He's in love with Hyuuga Hinata."

"You're drunk." Ino retorts sharply.

"Uchiha Sasuke or Hyuuga Hinata?"

She smacks my shoulder. "Shikamaru!"

"Uchiha Sasuke or… me?"

She didn't say anything, didn't do anything. She just stared and stared. I already know the answer. I've known since that summer night 3 years ago. I don't even feel anything anymore. Good thing I'm drunk. "Of course."

"You're drunk." She repeats. "You'll forget about this tomorrow."

Like a flower that never had the chance to bloom… That is unrequited love.

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><p><em>January 30, 2013 - In light of the recent events in the manga, I wrote a Shikamaru chapter. I know. I'm torturing him. But I totally love the way he handles all the crazy things happening around. He is so cool. Anyway, I hope that him being in love with Ino is not out-of-the-blue. I actually don't want to write about anyone else anymore 'cause this story is slow enough as it is so... but I don't know. It basically just depends on my mood really LOL!<em>

_Thanks so much for the reviews! I know that the cursing is too much (especially last chapter lol) but it's only with certain characters. But I'll try to minimize the cursing._


	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER: **Uh, yeah... still not mine...

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><p><strong>+ HINATA +<strong>

**WHICH LIE IS THE TRUTH?**

_Bittersweet Symphony – The Verve_

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><p>I park my new bike outside the Campus Plaza's Complex C, otherwise known as a building full of dramas. For me, at least. Theatre people are so full of theatrics. I know that artists tend to be more dramatic than normal people but I've only been working with them for a few days and I already feel like I aged 10 years. Even so, it's been fun. The Music Club (the club I'm in) and the Drama Club decided to collaborate for the Komaba Festival. The Drama Club wanted to do a musical and for that they needed the Music Club. The upperclassmen of both clubs are in-charge of everything but the singing and the songs are the Music Club's responsibility whereas the acting and all that stuff are with the Drama Club. This is the first musical for both of the clubs' presidents. So yeah, they basically don't know what they're doing. But I think the Drama Club's president is full of ideas… and passion. She wants to do a musical like Glee. And that's it so far. She's also very picky with actors and actresses. Quite a few turned up for the audition but no one pleased her.<p>

Except for the main actress.

Two of them are vying for the role but I think Sakura has the bigger chance. I pause on my track as I see her approaching from the opposite direction. We look at each other for a few seconds until she turns and walks through the door. Sighing, I follow after her. It's been really awkward. Especially on Sakura's audition. I don't really have a significant role here. I'm just _that girl playing the piano_. And I have a feeling Tayuya-senpai purposefully chose me for this 'job' so that they won't have to deal with all these drama on a daily basis. Anyway, Sakura's audition has been awkward for me. I didn't know what to do. But since she ignored me, I ignored her too. We've been ignoring each other since then. Kiba said it was okay. It wasn't my fault. I didn't do anything wrong. But I can't help feeling guilty, that somehow I did something wrong.

Ugh. If only I didn't go to that stupid party. Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't have noticed me. He wouldn't have grabbed me like that. Then I wouldn't have punched him in the first place. I… wouldn't have rejected him. I kinda feel guilty about that as well. It was a split second but I saw it in his eyes. He was hurt. Which was weird. He wanted to play around with me so why would my rejection hurt him…

But whatever. Everything's back to normal now. I still get the evil eyes, though. I'm kind of used to it already and don't really mind at all but sometimes it gets exhausting. Don't those girls ever get tired of all the hate?

"Hinata-chan!" a familiar voice hollers.

I look up. "N-Naruto-kun?" He's sitting alone at the back row of the theatre, waving at me excitedly. I go over to him. "What are you doing here?"

"No idea!" he answers cheerfully. I can't help but giggle. "The captain told me to go here. But I have no idea what's going on."

"W-we're going to do a musical for the Komaba Festival." I answer, sitting down next to him. "The director called for an urgent meeting today. That's all I know."

"Oh, I see." Naruto nods. "So you're going to sing?"

I sputter. "W-w-what? N-no… I c-c-can't… I d-d-d-don't s-s-s-sing… I d-don't have a part… I p-play the piano. T-that's all."

He nods again. "Ah! So you put the music in musical, right?" I'm not sure if that's a joke or what so I just give him a strained smile. "I think this is my punishment."

"Eh?"

"I had a fight with your friend, remember?"

"Oh, t-that…"

"Yeah," he pouts. "I think this is that punishment. I probably have to do the props or something. Sounds lame to me. But hey, you're here! I might actually survive this!"

"You can't talk to my friend, idiot." Someone growls from behind us. It's Kiba.

"Says who, dogbreath?"

"Says me."

"Hinata-chan can talk to whoever she likes."

Before Kiba gives another retort, I place a hand on his shoulder. "Please don't fight here." The Drama Club president has a nasty temper.

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan. We're not 'allowed' to fight anymore." Naruto mutters bitterly. "Like we need permission to fight."

"We're not allowed to fight inside the school." Kiba corrects, sitting on my other side. "They didn't say anything about outside."

Naruto smirks. "Is that a challenge, dogbreath?"

Kiba smirks too. "Name the place and time. I'll be there."

"H-how come you guys are not allowed to fight anymore…" I ask stupidly. The answer's pretty obvious but someone needs to change the subject, "… inside?"

"Because we'll be banned from the basketball team for life if we get involved in a fight again." Kiba answers. "So what are we supposed to do here?"

I shrug. "I don't know."

"Do you know until what time this meeting is, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asks, checking something on his phone. "I need to go to the airport."

"Y-you're going somewhere?"

"Nope! I'm going to meet my goddesses, believe it!"

"Goddesses?"

"Yeah! SNSD!" he exclaims eagerly. "You know them. There's no way you don't know them."

"You're going to meet them at the airport?" Kiba asks doubtfully. There's no way Kiba doesn't know them. He's a huge fan. "You won't even get close enough to take a picture of the top of their heads."

Naruto chuckles with confidence. "Oh, I'll definitely get close enough to take a picture of every strand from their luscious hairs." He pulls out an ID – a pink ID – and brandishes it in front of Kiba. Poor Kiba.

"Y-YOU! YOU'RE AN S.O.N.E BOARD MEMBER? NO FUCKING WAY!"

"Yes fucking way." Naruto tucks the ID away preciously.

Kiba's looking at Naruto in a whole new light. I can't laugh. Not yet. "So… is it true that board members are entitled to a lot of privileges? Like front row tickets? Backstage pass?"

"Of course."

"Who's your bias?"

Naruto scoffs. "The most beautiful, who else? Yuri-san!"

"Yuri?" Kiba exclaims in disagreement. "She's definitely beautiful but YoonA is the most angelic."

"Look, I love YoonA-san too. In fact, I love all of them. But seriously, Yuri-san is the best. Can you see that perfect body?" He shows us his phone's wallpaper of Yuri.

And so the debate on who is the most beautiful member of SNSD commences. I'm glad that these two finally found something they have in common. Aside from the fact that both of them are loud, that is. I look around the theatre. Almost everyone from the Drama Club and Music Club is already here. Even Gaara. Oh, that reminds me…

"E-excuse me."

"Where are you going?" Kiba and Naruto ask at the same time.

"I have to go talk to someone. I'll be back."

They nod and go back to their debate. Looks like they're finally getting along. Funny how things work out in the end sometimes. For some people, at least. I leave the two fanboys alone and approach Gaara cautiously. I think he's one of those people who have days in which they don't really want to deal with people. I'm like that too. Sometimes.

"H-hey," I wave a hand in front of him because he has headphones on. He looks up questioningly. "M-may I sit?"

He glances behind me – where Naruto and Kiba are – and takes his headphones off. "Sure."

I take a sit. "I h-haven't seen you around in a while. I hope everything's ok."

"What makes you think that?"

"U-uhm… b-because I h-haven't seen y-you in a while?" Gaara can be very intimidating.

He looks at me like he's reading my mind. Or maybe he looks at everyone that way. "I've been busy." I nod as though I understand. "What is it that you want with me?"

"O-oh! R-right! Uhm… about that Tupperware. It's my r-roommate's and she's been wondering where I put it. Anyway, she's looking for it and I was wondering if I can have it back yet?" He looks clueless.

"What is a Tupperware?"

"T-that plastic sort of box that contained the food I gave you last week?"

He nods. "The kimchi."

"Yes, that!" I smile. Tenten will kill me if I lose her Tupperware. I can always buy her another one but she's proud of everything she owns. Those she bought with her own money. Tupperware included. "M-maybe you can buy a new Tupperware and put the kimchi there?"

"The Tupperware is empty now."

"Oh, did… did you throw the food?" I ask him. "I d-don't mean to… I'm not offended in case you did…"

"I didn't throw it." he looks away. Is he embarrassed? "I ate everything the next day. It was very delicious."

He ate all that kimchi in one day? That was a lot of kimchi. It was enough to last him a few months but he ate them in one day. Amazing. "S-so… can I get the Tupperware later?"

"I haven't cleaned it yet. It's been on my sink for a week now." It's been on the sink for a week? No wonder Tayuya-senpai was worried about him. I can't even imagine the smell. "I haven't been in my apartment that often this last week. I've been busy."

"Busy doing what?" What's he doing that he can't even take care of his dishes? Surely performing in a club doesn't take much of his time.

"Recording." He answers.

"Songs?" he nods. "W-wow! That's awesome! You're going to be a singer. I mean, professionally. With an album and all. I… I hope I can watch you perform in that club you work at."

"I don't work there anymore."

"Oh, that's too bad…"

"What would you want me to give you?" he asks so suddenly.

"E-eh?"

"As a payment for the food you gave me. It really was delicious."

"Y-you don't have to."

"I insist." Gaara says adamantly. And seriously. He's sort of glaring at me, daring me to say no to him.

"W-well… I'd like to listen to one of your songs." I mutter, glancing at his headphones. What kind of music does he make? It's probably rock. With a lot of screaming.

"I don't have my songs here." He gestures at his mp3 player. "But I can have them tomorrow. I'll give it to you. With the Tupperware."

"T-that's settled then. Thanks. See you tomorrow."

He grunts and puts his headphones back on. As I go back to my seat, I notice a commotion on the stage. The Drama Club president is late.

"Who's that?" Naruto asks the moment I sit down. He's eyeing Gaara curiously.

"That is Hinata's new friend." Kiba answers before I can. I know that tone. The you-never-listen-to-me tone. "The one I told her to stay away from."

"And I told you, he's not a bad person once you get to know him." I shake my head. Kiba and his tendency to judge people by their appearance.

"Why would I want to get to know someone who looks like that?"

"He does look dangerous." Naruto mutters quietly as though Gaara might overhear. "Cool… but dangerous."

"Are you scared of him, Naruto?" I was gone a few minutes and they're already on first-name basis. "'cause Hinata here has more guts than you. She invited that kid inside her apartment. I mean, who invites a total stranger inside their house?"

Naruto looks at me in disapproval. "You did? That's a little reckless."

I smack Kiba. Really, he talks a lot. "He needed help. He was bleeding."

"Bleeding?!" Naruto exclaims.

"And why was he bleeding? Because he was in a fight! He gets into troubles, Hinata." Kiba repeats the things he said to me last week.

"We weren't alone." I explain to Naruto. Just so he knows. "Ko, my bodyguard, was with us."

"Even so!" Kiba just won't let it go, seriously. "This is Tokyo. There are a lot of maniacs here. And crazy fangirls. I'm sure you of all people know just how crazy those girls are. You trust people so easily. Just because they treat you nicely don't mean you can be friends with them. Don't think I can forget the times you went crying to me and Shino because some 'friends' turned out to be phoney bitches… See? I was right about those two."

"Stop it, Kiba." I growl in warning.

"And I'm also right about this one. Stay away from him."

I can relate to Gaara in terms of how people judge us at first glance. When they see Gaara, they see the tattoo, the heavy eyeliner, and the cold green eyes. Immediately they write him off as dangerous. That's stupid. Gaara didn't instigate the fight that earned him a bloody head. I saw that old man thanking Gaara for helping him.

"Dude, back off." Naruto tells Kiba seriously. "All you ever say is for Hinata-chan to stay away from people and for people to stay away from her. Leave her be. She can handle herself."

"Not against that psycho over there." Kiba hissed angrily.

"Psy-psycho?!" I'm done with Kiba's bullshit. I know he cares for me and I love him but seriously. Enough already. I bite his hand.

"Argh!" Kiba cries. "Ouch! Stop it! You –! Are you –?! Dammit, Hinata!"

I let go of his hand to glare up at him. He glares back. We glare at each other for a while until Kiba turns away with a curse.

"He looks really pissed." Naruto chortles as we watch a fuming Kiba transfer to the far side of the theatre. "I can't believe you bit him."

"He deserves it." Kiba and I would get into fights once in a while. But it was never serious. I'm sure we'll be back to normal in a few hours. "He shouldn't've said that about Gaara-kun who did nothing to him. Judging someone by their appearance is not right."

Naruto nods in agreement. "Yeah, you didn't judge Sasuke by his appearance."

Uchiha Sasuke is the prime example on why we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. When people see him, they see this tall and handsome man. They admire him because of that. Women think he's the man of their dreams. What those fangirls didn't know is that Uchiha Sasuke is a nightmare. "I didn't. I judged his actions. He's a rude, conceited pervert."

Naruto bursts out laughing. "You're so cool, Hinata-chan! No wonder Sasuke likes you a lot."

"H-he doesn't like me."

_I was bored. I thought it'll be fun but I was wrong,_ Uchiha Sasuke said that night. When I heard that, I wasn't angry or hurt or upset. I wasn't even surprised. I was, in a way, expecting it. After all, why else would Uchiha Sasuke pay attention to me?

"I don't think so." Naruto counters smilingly. "I've known Sasuke since we were still inside our mothers' wombs and that guy never had a crush on anyone before – actresses, singers, celebrities. Heck, he didn't even have an anime crush. This is the first time. With you."

It doesn't make sense. But still, my heart is racing at Naruto's words. If what he's saying is true, then… Did Uchiha Sasuke lie? Now I understand that pain I saw in his eyes. I feel guilty for hurting him but there was nothing I can do… Does he really like me, though? He opened the door for me. I was really stunned when he did that. I thought it was romantic. Kinda. Well maybe because no one ever really opened a door for me… But what if this is just a figment of Naruto's imagination? He could be wrong. However, regardless of who's telling the truth and who's lying…

"My answer will remain the same."

Naruto grinned. "I know. And for that, thank you. Thank you for reminding Sasuke he's only human."

The two of us jump in alarm as we hear an almighty crash on the stage. Followed by some shouting. "I WAS LATE FIFTEEN MINUTES AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN THINK OF PREPARING THE THINGS I MIGHT NEED? REALLY, PEOPLE? DO YOU WANT US TO HAVE A MEETING WITH ME HERE SHOUTING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS? WHERE'S THE MICROPHONE?"

"That's the Drama Club president." I explain to an astounded Naruto. "Yuki Fujikaze."

"She sounds like a charming lady. Yep, this is my punishment. So what's the musical about?" Naruto asks curiously.

"We actually don't have a script yet." Like I said, no one knows what they're doing.

Yuki-senpai marches to the center stage with a microphone in hand. "Good afternoon, everyone. As you all know, we don't have a story yet. But we have a concept. Which is Glee."

"What's glee?" Naruto asks.

"It's an American TV show. A musical."

"I know that's not much to go on," Yuki-senpai continues, "but today I have great news! Haruno Sakura-san will join us from now on as our main actress. Congratulations!"

Crap.

Sakura stands up and bows at everyone who's giving her a round of applause. She looks pleased. I'm happy for her but I'm worried about us working together. I don't think I can handle more drama.

"Oh, it's pinkie." Naruto mumbles quietly.

Yuki-senpai signals for silence. "And now, guys. Guys. I finally heard the voice. You wouldn't believe where I heard it…" she pauses to add a bit more drama. She _is_ the Drama Club president. Everyone's attention is fixated on her.

"Where did you hear it?" someone asks. He probably couldn't handle the suspense anymore.

"The Basketball Club's shower room."

Everyone did a collective "EH?!"

"What did she hear?" Naruto asks in a scared whisper. "A ghost? Is there a ghost in our shower room?"

"There he is!" Yuki-senpai points in our direction. I slump back on my seat as everyone's head swivel around. "The voice! Our main actor! Uzumaki Naruto!"

"What?" Naruto looks so confused. "What's going on?"

"Y-you're the main actor for the musical." I explain to him. "Congratulations."

He blinks once. Twice. And then he jumps to his feet. "HELL NO!"

* * *

><p><em>February 24, 2013 – Thanks for the amazing reviews and honest feedbacks about the previous chapter. About the geisha thing… I apologize for that. I didn't research about geishas beforehand. But yeah, Sasuke's into them and they like him too LOL!<em>

_SNSD is a Korean girl group, by the way. A few months ago, I saw this program on NHK about KPOP in Japan and two fanboys were being interviewed. They reminded me of Naruto and Kiba LMAO!_


	14. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER: **This also feels like a filler chapter, hmm... Oh, yeah, Naruto is still not mine.

* * *

><p><strong>+ NARUTO +<strong>

**FML**

_Gives You Hell – All American Rejects_

* * *

><p>"And then she bit him!" I laugh. "You should have seen her! She was so freaking awesome! And Kiba's face was priceless! Hahaha!"<p>

My laughter trails off as I feel a murderous atmosphere coming from the quiet bastard sitting on the opposite couch. He's glaring more intensely than usual. I should shut up. Then again, it may be best if Sasuke murders me now.

"Anyway, there's no chance in hell. I will never do it."

I stormed out of that stupid theatre before anyone could stop me. Are they fucking kidding? Do I look like a freaking actor? I don't act, much less sing. I only sing in the showers, for crying out loud! And how did that crazy bitch got inside the shower rooms anyway? She should get in trouble for that. She could be a peeping tom.

"What are you doing next week?" I ask Sasuke as I open another can of beer.

"This and that." Sasuke shares vaguely.

I'm telling him something important and he's staring at his beer can. "Mom told me to go home. She said it's a surprise. Yeah, right. Remember the last time she had one of her 'surprises'? It left me, her only son, traumatized."

Stupid clowns and their stupid creepy faces.

"What's going on next week?" Sasuke asks, getting to his feet.

I shake my head. "You've been cooped-up in that studio for a long time. It's Golden Week."

"Ah." He starts walking away.

I almost choke on my beer. "Hey! Where're you going?"

"To coop-up in my studio."

"Are you going to drop-out?"

Sasuke pauses in his track. "Clean up then lock the door when you leave."

Moody bastard.

We're supposed to have a manly chat and talk about whatever it is that's bugging him. I definitely think it has something to do with Hinata. That bastard's likely to punch me if I ever offer him some help on that department. But seriously… how much longer is he going to sulk? He already missed 4 days of classes. I know he wasn't really interested in attending graduate school and would rather just pursue Architecture right away… wait, is he really going to drop out? I can't let that happen! There has to be something I can do.

**xXx**

"No." Dogbreath answers without a second thought.

He should at least pretend to think about it. We watch as Sasuke does another 3-point. For a heartbroken bastard, he still plays exceptionally. "What's so bad about a date? It's just a date." I point out to this moron sitting beside me. We're cleaning basketballs. Again.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing." Kiba mumbles, frowning. "You're setting them up."

"Look, Sasuke's in a really deep slump at the moment –"

Kiba snorts in disbelief and nods at the court where Sasuke makes another 3-point. "Doesn't look like it."

I so want to throw these balls at this moron's head. I restrain myself, though. The gym is full of senpais and I'll definitely get in trouble if I do that. "He's skipping classes and the only thing that's stopping him from never showing up in school is basketball. I'm telling you, he's this close to dropping out."

"That's good news then."

"What about the team, huh? We will never make it to nationals without Sasuke!"

Kiba sighs. "I care about winning and getting that SNSD signed poster you're bribing me with but… setting my friend up to a guy she doesn't like is not a good idea."

"She's perfect for him."

"He's not perfect for her. Besides, what you're planning is never going to work."

"Not without your help!"

"I told you no. There's no way I can help you with that because aside from the fact that I don't like Uchiha Sasuke… Hinata has… issues."

"What issues?"

"Ever heard of the saying 'Once bitten, twice shy'?"

I shake my head. "No."

"Well, that's Hinata. Her first relationship ended badly. She doesn't want to get hurt again."

That sucks. I can't guarantee that she will never get hurt again. This is Uchiha Sasuke after all. He's known for ripping women's hearts out and trampling on them with enjoyment. But I definitely think he's serious about Hinata. I want them to be together but I don't want Hinata to get hurt but if they don't get together Sasuke will go away and I can't let that happen because we have to win the fucking nationals!

My head. It hurts.

"So about that signed poster –"

"UZUMAKI!" someone booms out all of a sudden.

I jump to my feet and rush to a livid Coach Ibiki. What did I do?! "YES, SIR!"

"From this day onwards, you're not allowed inside the gym anymore."

Say what?! "W-what?!"

"You fucktard," Hidan-senpai chides, wiping his face with a towel furiously. The practice is over and everyone steps closer to watch me get humiliated. "Haku said you walked out of the Drama Club yesterday. That was your punishment, you moron."

Oh, the injustice… I look at the coach. "How was that a punishment, sir? They told me that I'm… that I was the actor!"

"That's the punishment." Coach Ibiki nods gravely. It looks to me like he's trying not to barf or something. "Either you accept it. Or you're out of the team."

"That's not fair!" I exclaim in indignation. Sasuke sighs. Kiba shakes his head. I point at him. "How come Kiba doesn't have a role while I get the fucking lead role?"

Coach Ibiki glances at Captain Haku. The captain clears his throat. "The Drama Club doesn't have a script yet so they can't designate which role goes to whom."

"Screw that!" I protest loudly. "I'm not going to do it!"

"Either you accept it or you're out of the team." Coach Ibiki repeats. "That is final."

They have got to be fucking kidding me. I don't want to be in a stupid musical. I hate this. There's nothing I hate more than being manipulated into doing things I don't want to fucking do, dammit. I know I'm hot-tempered, impulsive, obnoxious… I have a foul mouth too, but what did I ever do wrong to deserve this?!

Someone thumps my back. Hard. I look up at a staring Sasuke. And then I notice that everyone's gone. It's just the two of us left in the gym.

"Just suck it up, idiot." Sasuke tells me quietly, turning away. "And get it over with. Stop thinking too much. You look constipated."

"Let's get drunk tonight, Sasuke."

"I can't. I'm having dinner with Mom."

**xXx**

I feel pathetic standing outside the Drama Club's room an hour later. "How long do I have to wait?" I ask an over-zealous member through gritted teeth. He looks like a freshman so it's okay to intimidate him a little.

"Uhm, they're discussing the script and the budget. The meeting started a few minutes ago so I think it'll be a while. The president said no interruptions so…" he trails off apologetically.

Whatever. "I'll just come back tomorrow then."

The freshman grabs my arm. I glare at him. I can't even remember his name. Muro-something? "No! I mean… the president will be delighted to see you."

This kid is so obviously in-love it's painful. "So?"

"So, if it's alright with you, please wait inside the lounge." He gestures at the end of the hallway.

I'd like to tell what's-his-name to go inside the stinking room and inform that peeping tom that I – the one they're begging to play the lead role – must not be kept waiting. I hold on to my patience though and drag my feet to the lounge without another word. I stare in amazement once I get inside the lounge. It's very colourful. I particularly like the vibrant walls. But. I am mad about the couch. The orange couch. I drop my bag there and I can't help but stroke the upholstery. I should get me an orange couch too. I notice an open door to my left and see a lot of clothes strewn about. Costume Room? Looks like it. I plop down the orange couch, grab my bag and fish out my ipad. I'll watch my goddesses while waiting. They were so pretty at the airport. I met my goddesses in person a couple of times now. The second time was yesterday and the first was backstage before their concert. They thought I was a pop star because of my hair, tee hee… they're adorable. Wait, if this musical becomes successful and I indeed become a pop star… shit, I'll be close to my goddesses! I can invite them to my parties, do collaborations with them, we can hang out together!

The sound of an opening door snaps me out of my daydreaming. It's from the adjacent room.

"So… we'll be working together." Huh? That voice sounds familiar.

A second voice answers. "Y-yes."

Hinata-chan? Uh… this is awkward. I feel like I'm eavesdropping. Where's my headphones… I rummage through my bag quietly. It'll be even more awkward if I get caught. But technically I'm not really doing anything wrong here.

"Thank you for not messing up my audition."

I stopped searching for my headphones for a second. Why would Hinata do that?

"W-why would I do that?"

Exactly.

"I was part of Sasuke-kun's fanclub. I fed those trolls stuff about you."

I stop searching for my fucking headphones altogether. Now I know whose voice that is. It's pinkie.

"A-ah… I see." Hinata replies sadly. Why, I have no idea. She should be angry at her.

"I understand that you're angry but we can't let that affect this production."

"I'm not angry." I frown at the resigned tone in Hinata's voice. That girl's been through a lot. "T-this… isn't the first time I was b-betrayed anyway."

Oh, BURN! I didn't get to hear pinkie's response because the door bangs open. "There you are, Hyuuga! They're looking for you. Come on!"

"Y-yes, Senpai!" Hinata squeaks. "Uhm… e-excuse me."

The door closes. I hear footsteps coming closer and a few moments later, pinkie is standing in the doorway. She looks sad. Is this the end of their friendship? If you call _that_ a friendship… She gasps as she sees me sitting on the couch.

"How long have you been there?" she asks.

I shrug. "Long enough."

Her green eyes narrow in suspicion. "How much have you heard?"

"Enough to make me understand what Kiba meant earlier."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm saying it'll be even harder for Hinata-chan to have friends because of people like you."

She bristles. "You know nothing about me, Uzumaki!"

Something odd strikes me at this very moment. She's… really beautiful. But too bad. She's one of Sasuke's psycho fangirls. I nod in agreement. "True."

Before she can reply, the door to the lounge bursts open. It's Peeping Tom. She shrieks as she saw me. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! YOU'RE HERE!"

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" I mutter bitterly. As I submit myself to this fucked-up circumstance, I have come to a decision. Sorry, Sasuke. I can't help you with Hinata after all. I guess I just have to find another way to keep you around.

Peeping Tom is overwhelmed and it looks like she's about to cry. "Thank you! Thank you so much for accepting! This means a lot to me. If there's anything I can do to repay you for your kind consideration, you name it! Anything!"

My kind-what? I wouldn't be here if I'm not so fucking desperate to stay on the team… Her offer though… "I want this couch."

* * *

><p><em>March 05, 2013 – Wow, this finished faster than I expected. Probably because I'm too excited for the upcoming chapters. I'llsaynomorebecauseIdon'twanttospoilyou. Kekekekeke~<em>

_Thank you so much for the reviews! I grinned like an idiot when I read that this story is "kinda realistic". That's what I'm aiming for. I want this to be as realistic as possible. I even have a map of the University of Tokyo, lol!_

_By the way, I know I said I'll minimize the swearing but I just remembered the reason why I categorized this as Rated M – there's loads of swearing. ^^_

_Angst is coming._


	15. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing.

A/N: This happens the same day as the previous chapter ^^

* * *

><p><strong>+ HINATA +<strong>

**BACK IN AZKABAN I GO**

_Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes_

* * *

><p>Knock, knock.<p>

"Hinata-chan, you'll be late for school!" Tenten calls out from the hallway.

She's probably on her way to the bathroom. I open an eye blearily and stare at the white wall in front of me. The walls in this tiny room are all white. Too white. I blink my eyes slowly. I'm cocooned in my blanket with my head peeking out.

"Hinata-chan~" Tenten singsongs from the kitchen. Ugh. Please. Shut up. "Oh? We're out of toothpaste?"

I keep staring at the wall as Tenten moves around the kitchen humming, cursing, singing and exclaiming random things. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she enters the bathroom. I lie on my back to stare at the ceiling next. Tenten's always so cheerful in the morning. It's a bit unnerving sometimes. Especially on days like this.

I'm not feeling unwell. It's just that I don't feel like getting up. I just want to stay put and watch the hours waste away. What day is it? Friday. I have Japanese History for first period. I don't want to attend that class. The professor is boring. I have math. I hate math. I have a feeling I'll fail math. Economics… Physical Education… I hate P.E… P.E hates me too. Maybe I should skip school. My absence doesn't matter to anyone. No one will notice. Except Kiba and Shino, of course.

Oh, yeah. There's this meeting in the afternoon with the Drama Club. I don't feel like showing up for that. Naruto didn't want to play the lead role. I think the Drama Club's president is going to throw a tantrum. I wonder if Naruto's voice is really that great. Yuki-senpai seemed as excited as the first time she pitched the idea of a collaboration with the Music Club.

I jump as I hear a loud bang. Tenten, seriously. She moves around the kitchen for a bit then proceeds to knock on my door again.

"Good morning, Hinata-chan! Get up now! It's Friday. I have to clean the apartment and I don't want you wandering around like a zombie. You have to go to school!"

I sat up. I'm really thankful to Tenten. I really am. But… why am I even doing this? What would be the point of going to university when I should be chasing after my dreams? I sigh. Even if I chase after my dreams I still don't know what I'm supposed to do after that. I want to study music but what happens after, I have no idea.

"Good morning." I mutter glumly as I enter the kitchen.

Tenten's already eating breakfast. If she noticed my gloomy mood she didn't comment on it. "Morning. Eat breakfast first before you go."

I take a sit opposite her. Even the dining table is tiny. It's only for 2 persons. The first time I stepped inside this apartment I felt a bit suffocated.

"By the way," Tenten enthuses. "I'll be gone for the weekend. There's this job I have to do up north. It pays really well."

"What job is it?"

"Harvesting fruits and vegetables." Tenten answers cheerfully.

"That sounds like hard work."

"It is. But it pays well so…"

There are a lot of things I'm envious about Tenten. One of them is Tenten's determination. She has a sense of purpose to keep going everyday. She's determined to achieve the things she was deprived of. I don't have that kind of purpose. Everyday I get up without a purpose. I go to school just because. My family will never care if I fail subjects or if I don't graduate college anyway so… why am I even trying so hard? I have no purpose. No motivation. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning… I'm disappointed that I did.

**xXx**

"And until then, see you after the holidays!" Yuki-senpai imparts cheerfully. She's over the moon. Naruto accepted the role. He doesn't look too happy about it.

"It'll be fine." I try to cheer him up. I'm one to talk. I'm not exactly cheerful myself. I glance over at Sakura. It was quite a surprise when she approached me earlier. There were a lot of things I wanted to say. I wanted to thank her for being such a good friend. The times I spent with her and Ino were memories I will always cherish. But I wasn't able to say any of those things to her. It was bad timing on her part that she chose to talk to me while I'm in this state of mind.

I'm in a place inside my head I fondly refer to as Azkaban. A place where I feel like I will never be happy again… I feel hopeless, miserable, restless… I get like this a lot but as with every shit that's happened to me over the years, I've gotten used to it now. Either I get used to this or I let this ruin my life.

"She said the couch is not hers." Naruto mutters sullenly. "But she'll see what she can do. Whatever."

I have no idea what he's talking about. I suppose I should ask but I don't feel like knowing everyone's business at the moment. I start gathering my notebook and pen. As per usual, nothing was resolved in this meeting. Except for the main actor. Hopefully, by the time we come back from the holidays, they could show us a script. I hate holidays.

"Ne, Hinata-chan, what are your plans for the holidays?" Naruto asks.

I plan to rot inside that tiny room. I zip up my bag. "This and that." When I didn't hear any reply from Naruto, I turn around. He's looking at me as though I grew another head.

"That bastard said the same thing." He breathes in wonder.

I'd like to ask who but I have a feeling I won't like the answer. "S-see you then."

Naruto nods and grins. "See you! Have a good holiday!"

I doubt it. He runs for the door and on the way there he bumps into Sakura. They glare at each other for a while before he walks past her. She sees me staring and we stare at each other. Then she gives me a small smile. I just stare at her until she walks out the door. I wonder why she smiled at me. She should not be smiling at me. We should not be smiling at each other anymore.

I'm walking towards my bike when someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn around. It's Gaara. He's holding something out.

"Here." He gestures for me to take it. I hold out my hand and he drops an mp3 player in my palm. "My songs."

"Thanks." I smile at him. He looks away. "I'll g-give it back as soon as I'm done listening."

"It's yours."

"T-the mp3 player?" It doesn't look expensive but still… "I can't take this!"

"It's yours." Gaara repeats forcefully with a glare. So yeah, I can't say no. When he's sure that I'm not going to argue anymore, he starts walking away.

"T-thank you, Gaara-kun!" I call after him. He stops and I can't help but wonder if I'm annoying him or something because he stiffens.

"Don't call me that." He says quietly without turning around.

"O-o-okay."

"Gaara. Just… Gaara."

And then he runs away, leaving me too dumbfounded to do anything else but stare after his running figure. When he's out of sight, I glance at the mp3 player in my hand. I smile. He's a sweet guy. Something makes me look up and when I did, I wish I didn't. Uchiha Sasuke is standing across the street, staring at me with such intensity that I can't help but gasp. His eyes hold mine captive for a few seconds. I can't look away. He wouldn't let me. He wants me to see the anger in his eyes. Why…

"_Sasuke likes you a lot."_

"Hinata?" someone asks worriedly. I force my eyes away from those dark depths and look up to see my savior. It's Shino. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. "What's wrong?"

"I…" I shake my head to clear it a little. I totally forgot where I am, what I'm doing. I turn to look back at the Uchiha but he was already gone. "Nothing."

"Are you sure? You're trembling."

I smile a bit to reassure him. "Yeah, yeah. I'm sure."

"He already left." Shino says softly.

"Huh?"

"You keep looking at where Uchiha Sasuke was standing a minute ago." Shino answers. Of course he knows. "I'm not judging you or anything."

I finally get to my bike. "Thanks… but there's nothing to judge."

"Really? Seems to me like you two are having a moment back there." Shino teases. He rarely talks but when he does, I kind of wish he's permanently mute. "I was going to say 'get a room'."

"Shut up." I unlock my bike. "I bit Kiba yesterday, you know."

We walk side by side for the gate in silence. My heart rate is returning to normal. What the hell was that? It wasn't because I was scared. I was… I don't know what I felt when I saw him. Why was he standing there… Oh… That awkward moment when I just realized that Complex C is right in front of the basketball gym. I'm not too thrilled with the idea of us running into each other again. He's making me feel… weird. And it doesn't help that Naruto's statement keeps flashing in my head like some neon sign. "_Sasuke likes you a lot. Sasuke likes you a lot. Sasuke likes you a lot"._ I can feel myself blushing. What the hell is wrong with me? I can't be… there's no way… Am I starting to like Uchiha Sasuke just because someone told me that he likes me?

That is some screwed up shit.

I better stop thinking about that nonsense. That was nothing more than just an awkward encounter with the Uchiha. My mind drifts off to what I've been dreading – holidays. It's full of tradition and the Hyuuga clan embodies the word tradition. Since I'm currently in exile, so to speak, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I can't just show up there looking as snotty as everyone else. But if I don't show up… who knows what Father will do. No one knows what Hyuuga Hiashi will do. When I left the house, all my credit cards and bank books were taken away from me and not once did my father send me any money. And yet, the bodyguards are still around. That must mean something. Like how I'm still valuable to some people even if I lost half of my fortune.

"Are you alright?" Shino asks all of a sudden. By the tone of his voice, he's concerned. He stops walking and I have no choice but to look up at him. It's hard to tell if Shino's looking at anyone because he wears sunglasses all the time. Contrary to popular belief, it's not a fashion statement. His left eye is smaller than the right. Kiba and I took a peek while Shino was sleeping.

"No." I respond solemnly. Shino and Kiba are the only ones I can be honest with. "It's that time of the month, I guess." I try to joke about it but Shino knows me too well.

"Do you want me to call Kurenai-san?"

"I'll be fine." I assure him but he's not convinced. That sounds stupid to me, too. "I'm strong."

"You can't always be strong."

I don't consider myself as suicidal. I never attempted suicide. The sight of my own blood makes me queasy and I never fancied dying in a gruesome way – like have a train run over me or have my innards splattered on the pavement. I would think of committing suicide whenever the pain inside is too much. And that's it. Just thoughts. I have no plans of carrying them out. I'm too scared to do that. Kiba and Shino know the real reason why I'm scared of heights. It's not because I'm scared of falling. It's because I want to fall. But since I'm too much of a coward, I'm content with waiting for Death to find me.

**xXx**

What should I do this weekend while Tenten's gone? Clean my room? Nah, I'll just download movies. I'll watch movies in my pyjamas until dawn, sleep, wake up in the afternoon, eat something, and then back to watching movies. Sounds fun. That's sarcasm, by the way.

"Hinata-sama."

I was in the process of stepping inside my apartment building when I heard that familiar voice. I look up slowly. Why didn't I pay more attention to my surroundings? I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice the limousine parked a few feet away. Or the old butler standing next to it. Yagami bows respectfully at me before opening the car door.

Shit.

Leaving me no time to formulate an escape plan, my mother dismounts out of the car. It doesn't help that she also looks like she just stepped out of a fashion magazine. My mother's name is Doumyouji Nadeshiko. After her divorce with my father, she decided to go by her maiden name. I think it's a wise move. It's kinda hard to keep track of new names since she remarried for the third time. My mother smoothes her dress gracefully. She's a part-time model and full-time socialite. Some people say I look like her. Well, they say that because I got her blue hair. That's the most obvious resemblance we have. But aside from that, I don't think I look anything like her at all. My mother is pretty, confident, graceful, sophisticated… Hence, I'm not like her.

"You wore that to school?" she asks in dismay, looking at me from head to toe. I look down at what I'm wearing – my favourite pair of Converse, distressed jeans, black and white striped shirt, black oversized cardigan. "Is the allowance I'm sending you not enough that you can't buy decent clothes?"

The allowance she sends me every week is twice the amount Tenten earns every month. I don't know why she thinks my clothes are not decent. "W-what are you doing here, Mother?"

She ignores me and looks up at my apartment building in distaste. "You have a condominium unit waiting but you still chose to live with Neji's ex-girlfriend. I don't see why you prefer this decrepit building."

If the Wizarding World has Dementors, I have my mother.

**xXx**

A couple of hours later, I'm waiting for my mother by the entrance of this really posh restaurant. She said she wanted us to have dinner. I glare at my high-heel clad feet. She took me to a boutique to get me a dress and shoes. Afterwards she took me to a salon to have my hair and make-up done. She likes dressing up for dinner. I hate it. I don't want to be here. I look up as I hear that unmistakable sound of her stilettos.

"He'll be a little late." Mother tells me, looking as glamorous as always. Her blue hair falls in waves down her back. She's wearing a dress that accentuates her figure. She doesn't look 35. "Let's go in."

She's going to introduce me to her new husband. There are a lot of emotions going on with me right now that I'm not quite sure what I should be feeling. There's one thing I'm sure of, I can't wait to get this over with so that I can go back to that tiny room and spend my days in solitude.

My mother gasps as we enter the restaurant. "Mikoto-neesan!"

A beautiful, aristocratic woman turns and smiles warmly. There's something a bit familiar about her… "Nadeshiko-san!"

They exchange greetings as I figure out why this woman looks so familiar. I never met her before. "It's been a long time. So, are you going to be the next First Lady?"

Mikoto chuckles and shakes her head. "Nothing's been decided yet. Congratulations on your wedding, by the way."

Nice way of changing the subject. Mother looks pleased with herself. She likes being the center of attention. Another thing we don't have in common. "Thank you. Everything happened so fast that I wasn't able to invite any friends." No shit. You didn't even invite your own daughters. "We're actually having dinner tonight with my eldest. This is Hinata."

Mikoto smiles at me kindly. She's friends with my mother? Really? "Nice to meet you, Hinata-san. My, you're so pretty."

"T-thank y-you." I mutter. I know I'm blushing. I shouldn't. Mikoto is just being nice.

"She's a freshman in the University of Tokyo." Mother shares.

"She is?" Mikoto asks in surprise. "My youngest too! He's with me… huh? Where is he? Oh, there he is. Sasuke!"

EH?! Sasuke? She can't mean… I turn around. Uchiha Sasuke is standing in the doorway, staring at me in disbelief. I don't blame him. I can't believe it, either. I watch anxiously as he struts his way towards us. He has a ridiculous walk. Is that really how he walks? But I should not be stressing out about the way he walks because he's approaching and what is he going to say? I swear if he starts saying stuff, I will kick him in front of our mothers.

"This is Sasuke, my youngest." Mikoto introduces him proudly. I look at anywhere but him. What the hell am I going to do… "Sasuke, this is Nadeshiko and her daughter Hinata. She also attends the University of Tokyo. You must have met each other."

"Of course not." Uchiha Sasuke answers coldly.

I take a peek up at him. My heart freeze at how coldly he looks at me, as if we are as he said. That we never met each other before. That he never kissed me. That he never asked me to be his girlfriend… Ah. So the one who had it wrong is Naruto.

"Excuse me, Mom." Uchiha Sasuke drawls and then he walks away, leaving his mother stumped. It seems that he's really rude to everyone, even to his own mother.

"I'm sorry about that." Mikoto apologizes for her son humbly. "He's been going through something these days."

"It's fine!" Mother replies. "Kids are like that nowadays."

"It's nice seeing you again but I have to go. Pleasure meeting you, Hinata-san." Mikoto smiles at me.

I somehow don't like that smile. It's different from the smile she had earlier. I bow at her respectfully. "P-pleasure meeting you, too."

After exchanging a few last words, we part ways to get to our own tables. My mother chose a table right next to the glass windows. I force myself not to look down.

"Uchiha Sasuke might have not spared you a glance in school before but I'm sure now he's taking notice." Mother says the moment we take our seats. I keep my face blank, just like a proper emotionless Hyuuga. "I mean, what with your outfit earlier. No man will look twice at you looking like some penniless college student. You may not be the heiress anymore but you're still the eldest daughter. You have to look the part."

I never cared about that. I like wearing comfortable clothes.

"Your father still hasn't given back your accounts?" Mother asks.

"N-no."

"Hiashi's as stubborn as always. Hanabi got that from him. She's ignoring my calls."

My sister has more backbone than me. They never get along, Mother and Hanabi. She was so young when our parents divorced. "S-she's busy… S-she's going to Greece for the h-holidays."

Mother rolls her eyes. "She's becoming one of the Aunts… Where are you going?"

"N-n-nowhere. I h-have some s-s-schoolwork to do." That's a lie, of course. I will not be touching my school stuff until the last day of the holidays.

"Goodness, Hinata. Your stutter." She groans. "Didn't your therapist ever teach you how to get rid of that? If only there's a surgery… Speaking of surgery, I met this really famous plastic surgeon in America. He's the best in Reconstructive Plastic Surgery. He worked with top-notch celebrities and personalities. I told him about that horrible scar."

I stiffen. I have a scar on my back that I got from my accident. I don't like talking about that.

"He said that he can remove it completely." Mother continues, oblivious to my discomfort. "And I think that you should. I'm not saying this just because I'm your mother but, you have a wonderful figure. It's a shame that you can't be proud of your body because of an ugly scar."

I. Don't. Like. Talking. About. That. "I don't want a surgery, Mother."

"Sounds like you guys are having an awesome family reunion." Someone utters in English.

I glance up to see my new stepfather. Then I look away as he start leaning towards my mother. My mood just went from angry to downright pissed. He's Italian and 10 years younger than Mother. He's a model. They met in a fashion show, they fell in love and 2 weeks later they got married. I don't blame Hanabi for ignoring her. I hear the sounds of kissing, my mother's giggles, and I swear I'm close to throwing up on the table.

"Santino, behave." Mother reprimands sweetly (sickeningly). "Hinata, this is Santino. Santino, I'd like you to meet my daughter Hinata."

"She looks as lovely as you." He smiles at me. I feel like I'm watching a toothpaste commercial. "How are you, Hinata?"

My mother was raised in America. She exposed me to western culture. Sometimes we would converse in English and that's how I learned how to speak in English. "I'm… I'm f-fine." That's not much of an English prowess but I was never the chatty type.

I suck at small talks.

Mother gives her husband the look. The I'm-sorry-my-daughter-is-a-disappointment look. I stare at my lap as the two of them keep talking. Really, I just want to stay in that tiny room. I could do something productive. I could be listening to Gaara's songs by now. I could be watching movies by now… I don't want to be here.

"Don't slouch." Mother hisses in Japanese. I look up. Her husband's staring curiously. "Can you just please act a little normal? He's here to meet you and you don't give a crap. Stop spacing out."

I'm spacing out because I don't want to hear your bullshits, Mother. I bite my lip and blink my eyes rapidly. I'm not going to cry here. Not in front of her. I'm strong. I'm not an oversensitive idiot. It's not like her husband understood what she said so there's no need to be embarrassed about that. I… I'm not a friendly person. I don't approach people. I don't talk to them first. What am I supposed to say anyway? I'm shy and quiet. Is that so wrong?

"Hey, you okay?" my mother's husband asks me worriedly. "What's wrong? What did you tell her?"

"I told her to stop spacing out."

"You must have said it harshly."

"I did not!"

"I didn't understand it but it definitely sounded harsh."

"Whatever. She's fine. Right, Hinata?"

I stand up. "Excuse me."

I make my way to the Ladies' Room in a haze. I can't quite see where I'm going because of the tears obscuring my vision. But I will not let myself cry. I just have to calm myself down before I go back there. Thankfully, there was no one else inside the Ladies' Room. I look at myself in the mirror. I let one tear slip down my face. It shouldn't affect me anymore. What my mother said. It shouldn't have any profound effect on me. All my life, they always said stuff like that in front of other people. I don't know why. I'm used to my relatives doing that… and I'm kinda used to Mother doing that… well, I'm on my way there but still, she's my mother. Can I just throw myself off a building and get it over with?

I look through my handbag for a tissue to wipe my face. I have a shitty life. I know there are a lot of things I should be thankful for. I'm from a distinguished family. I'm rich… I never really wanted a perfect life, just one that's happy. The door opens and I stare in shock.

It's Uchiha Sasuke.

He's glaring at me. He stalks towards me and backs me up against the wall, trapping me with his hands on the either side of my head. He stared down at me. His eyes are burning with the same anger I saw in them this afternoon.

"If you don't want to be here," he growls, "then leave. Stop looking so pathetic."

We stare at each. I feel dizzy. I remember the times he kissed me and I can't help but wonder if he's going to kiss me now. For one insane second, I kind of want him to. But something must have snapped him back to his senses and he lets me go. He leaves without another word. I remain frozen against the wall, though. What just happened? Uchiha Sasuke was here, inside the Ladies' Room. He looked angry. He said some stuff and I wanted him to kiss me. Right, I forgot. I am crazy.

I don't know how long I've been cooped-up inside the Ladies' Room but when I emerge from there, I'm back to being calm and composed. On my way back to our table, my eyes drift over to where the Uchihas are. He's already watching me. Damn my blush. I look away. My mother and her husband are staring at me warily as I take my seat. I must have been gone a long time because the food was already there.

"I a-apologize for my rude b-behaviour earlier." I mumble in English.

"See? I told you she's fine." Mother says, shrugging.

Her husband grins. "You don't have to apologize. Let's eat."

They resume whatever conversation they're having. My eyes scan the restaurant and my gaze clashes instantly with dark ones. He's been watching me the whole time. I glare at him. He has no business watching me. He did say he will never bother me again but why is he staring? And then he called me pathetic? He smirks at my futile attempt of intimidating him. Even from this distance I can see that annoying smirk. I was calm and now I'm angry again. I have to talk to my shrink about this mood swings. I stab my food angrily.

"Hinata!" Mother reprimands.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. This stupid dinner will be over soon. I just have to ignore those eyes and my mother's criticisms. I just have to ignore it as much as I can. I must not let myself get humiliated again. Mind over matter. I should get used to the fact that my mother likes pointing out my flaws. As though I'm not allowed to have flaws. But I can't help having flaws. I'm a human being. I'm gonna get through this. Like I always do. I've endured far worse stuff than this.

* * *

><p><em>March 13, 2013 – I'm not quite satisfied with this chapter. I feel like it's not as dark as I want it to be. It's frustrating how I can't express the emotions that well because English is not my first language lol…<em>

_I don't know if you guys remembered but in chapter 1, Hinata's a huge Harry Potter fan (like me). JK Rowling said that the inspiration for Dementors came from her bout of severe depression before the phenomenon that is Harry Potter. I always think of Dementors whenever I'm depressed._

_Anyway... thanks for the reviews! You guys are awesome as always~ ^^_


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: **Blah, blah...

* * *

><p><strong>+ NARUTO +<strong>

**I'M THE REAL BASTARD**

_Ordinary Story – In Flames_

* * *

><p>Kyoto.<p>

I step out of the train and take in the familiar scent. It's not nice to be back. I've only been gone a few months and I feel like I didn't get a chance to miss my hometown. That and the fact that I don't really want to spend Golden Week in my house. Chouji's probably enjoying some rare meat somewhere. Even lazy Shikamaru is out of town. He's in freaking Singapore! Heck, I think half the population is abroad! And I'm stuck in stinking Kyoto.

I was planning on going to South Korea but that fucking fight happened and I'm grounded for a month. I can't go out. Not even out of the country. My mother took (stole!) my passport. She still treats me like a child, I hate it. But, five months to go before I turn 18. I can't wait. I'mma party like a rock star and Mom can't do anything about it.

Don't get me wrong. I love my mother very much. We may disagree on a lot of things occasionally but I respect my mother. She raised me up on her own. It's no joke raising a kid like me. But every time she does something like this, I try not to be difficult and I have to remind myself how much I appreciate everything she's done for me. I just have to understand her reasons. And so here I am. She wanted me to come home and I did.

Well, technically, I'm still at the train station. I won't be home for another – I glance at my watch – couple of hours or so. I have to stop by somewhere first before anything else.

**V^^V**

30 bowls of ramen later, I finally head home. I was about to order my 31st bowl if my mom hadn't called to yell at me to go home already. Kami, I missed Ichiraku. It's the only thing I miss about my hometown. They don't make ramen like that in Tokyo. Ah, I feel like nothing's going to go wrong after eating ramen. I feel so fucking awes – what the fuck?

There's a Porsche parked right outside our house. Our house. A yellow Porsche. This can't be the surprise mom's talking about. Did she buy a Porsche? I look at the car closely. No, it's not brand new. Something's written on the side of the car – Yellow Flash. Cool name.

I walk toward our house slowly. My mother can't be… She's not going to introduce me to a boyfriend, is she? She's not going to make some announcement, right? If she has a boyfriend, I'm fine with that. But marriage? I have to get to know the guy first before she drops any surprises. She's my mom and I'm not going to let any guy take advantage of a beautiful, lonely single mother.

I stop short at the entryway, glaring at the shoes placed right next to my mom's. There's a man inside, no doubt. "I'm home!" I holler as I remove my shoes.

My mother appears from the receiving room. She puts her hand on her hip. She's nervous. About what? "Welcome home. What took you so long?"

I grin. "I stop by Ichiraku's. I had 30 bowls."

Uzumaki Kushina shakes her head, long red hair swaying with the motion. "You're unbelievable."

"Where's Kyuubi?" I ask, hearing our dog barking from somewhere upstairs. He's normally the first one to greet me at the door.

"He's in your room. You know how he is with strangers." She gives me a strained smile. "There's someone you have to meet."

The grin on my face changes into a frown. So she's going to introduce me to her new boyfriend. I'm not sure I'm ready for this. Yeah, I'm happy for my mom and I've been encouraging her to go out on dates but now that it's here… Whoever this guy is, he better be good. Because if he makes my mom cry, I will hunt him down and – I pause by the doorway as I see _that someone_ sitting on the couch. _That someone_ stands on his feet as he sees me. Is he seeing the same things I'm seeing? Same blond hairs and blue eyes.

My mother's not introducing me to her boyfriend.

"This is Namikaze Minato." Mom starts tentatively. "He's… an old friend."

Is she for real? I may be dumb but I'm not blind. I can see the resemblance between me and this guy. Fuck, it's like I'm staring at myself in the mirror. "Cut the crap, Mom. I know he's my father."

"Watch your language!" she snaps at me.

Scoffing, I plonk down the chair opposite _that someone_. "So this is your surprise." I tell Mom.

She chuckles awkwardly. "Sort of. Were you surprised?"

I glare at her. This is worst than that birthday party with the stupid clown. _That someone_ clears his throat and mom looks at him and they exchange this look and they both look at me as though they're expecting me to blow up any second now. I clench my teeth to keep myself from doing that. I lean back on the chair and cross my arms across my chest, waiting for them to start talking.

"I'll go make some tea!" Mom exclaims, running for the door. Coward.

A few uncomfortable minutes pass before _that someone_ clears his throat again. "Kushina told me your name is Naruto."

I channel my inner Sasuke. "Hn."

_That someone_ gives a small smile. "I'm glad she gave you that name. I was the one who suggested it."

What the fuck is this bullshit? I want to throw some stuff but I must remain indifferent. Like I really don't give a fuck. I can't help but clutch the armrest tightly, though. "Mom told me she found out she was pregnant after you two broke up and you went away. She said she never had the chance to tell you. She said you didn't know."

Mom appears all of a sudden, without the tea she said she'll make. Has she been listening outside all this time? "He knew. But then he didn't."

"I had amnesia."

The fuck?! I jump to my feet. Indifferent my ass. They want me to blow up? I will blow up. "What the fuck is this? A Mexican telenovela?" The two of them look dumbfounded. And then they burst out laughing. My parents are nuts. "Right. Whatever. I'll spend the night at Sasuke's."

**V^^V**

I don't always mean what I say. I used to always call Sasuke bastard. Well, I called him bastard all the time when I didn't know what the word meant. But since the moment I knew what that word meant, I would only call Sasuke bastard once in a while. I don't know why I call him that. It's really weird. Sasuke has every right to call me bastard, though. But he never did. Not once.

Growing up without a father sucked. I love that I have mom but sometimes there were things that I wished I have done with my father. I wished it was my father watching me on my basketball games. I wished I played basketball with him. I wished he was the one who taught me how to drink. I wished he gave me pointers on dating girls. I wished he was the one who gave me the talk. Kami, talking about the birds and the bees with my mom was the most embarrassing experience of my life.

The first and only time I asked about my father was when I was 12. I wanted to know why he's not around. I asked his name but mom didn't say anything. She just smiled sadly. After seeing that, I decided to stop asking questions about him. I figured out by myself that maybe I look like him. It made sense because I don't look anything like my mom. And… turns out that I do look like _that someone_. He didn't have these birthmarks on my cheeks, though.

I knock on the Uchiha Residence's door. I'm not quite sure if anyone's home. I'll just tell the housekeeper to let me stay one night then tomorrow I'm back in Tokyo. The door opens and I'm surprised to see Mikoto. She looks surprised too.

"Naruto?"

"Hey." I grin at her.

"Come in." she invites, stepping aside. She glances at my bag. "Is everything okay?"

"I wasn't sure if anyone's home. Is Sasuke here?"

"He went out with Itachi to buy some food. Naruto, what's going on?" she asks again. Sasuke's mom is really sharp.

"That… my… Namikaze Minato is in our house."

Mikoto stares at me for a while before nodding her head in understanding. "You're always welcome here."

"Thanks." I murmur in appreciation. I'm not surprised that she knows about _that someone_. She is my mom's best friend, after all. "I'll take my bag in the guestroom then."

She grabs me by the shoulder before I can take another step. "Leave it here. The servants will take care of it. Let's have a talk, shall we?"

"O-okay…" I gulp nervously. Did Sasuke do something? Guess I have to cover up for that bastard again. I always cover up for Sasuke. I can't say I hate it. I mean, he would treat me to ramen at Ichiraku afterwards so whatever. He better treat me ramen.

Mikoto pushes me down the couch then sits beside me with a disturbingly determined look on her face. "Tell me, Naruto… Is Sasuke currently or formerly involved with Hyuuga Hinata?"

I blink. And then blink some more. I have no idea what's going on. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Do they know each other? Have you seen them together?"

"It's complicated."

She narrows her eyes and I can't help but fear for my life. Uchiha Mikoto is dignified, elegant, reasonable, and non-violent. In short, so unlike my mom. However, that does not make her any less frightening. I think she's scarier than mom.

Mikoto leans back, crosses her arms and gives me an are-you-fucking-kidding-me look. I always thought Sasuke's mother is gangsta. "Did Sasuke tell you not to tell me?"

Keep your mouth shut. What went on with Sasuke and Hinata is not entirely a secret. Heck, the whole school knows about it (whatever they think they know). But I'm keeping my mouth shut for Hinata. Mothers are notorious matchmakers. "Not really." I answer.

Mikoto stares at me for a while. "Who are you trying to protect? Sasuke or Hyuuga Hinata?"

I sigh. "She… she's a good girl. It's better that she stay away from Sasuke." That bastard lost his virginity at the age of 12. And Hinata's whole aura screams innocent. Sasuke will corrupt her. Funny how I just figured it out.

"I know." Mikoto nods. "I just want to know what happened between them, that's all. I thought it was weird how Sasuke acted last week. He thinks I didn't notice him staring at Hyuuga Hinata throughout dinner."

"You guys saw Hinata-chan?"

"Yes." She chuckles in amusement. "He's in love with her, is he?"

Amazing. She figured it out straight away. Sasuke still hasn't figured it out himself. "Well, I don't think he's in love with her. Not yet anyway."

"Details. Now." Uchiha Mikoto says demandingly.

"The thing is… Sasuke really likes her but Hinata-chan – I sound like a girl."

Mikoto waits.

I clear my throat. "Anyway, Hinata-chan is not interested so she rejected Sasuke. He's been sulking since then."

Mikoto looks like she's waiting for me to start talking again. "That's all?"

I scratch my head. "Uhm… that's all I know…"

She gives me another are-you-fucking-kidding-me look. "Really now."

And so I had no choice but to recap the last month – how Sasuke stalked Hinata online, how he did inappropriate things to Hinata on the dance floor, how he was punched because of that, how Hinata called him pervert, how Sasuke's fangirls went crazy seeing his bruised face, how Sasuke had a lousy tryout because Hinata was there, how Sasuke kissed her in front of the whole school just to get rid of her, how he asked Hinata to be his girlfriend the day before that but he was rejected, how his fangirls bullied Hinata, how he swooped in like some superhero to stop the fangirls, how Sasuke started sulking after that. Mikoto is quiet for a while after I finished my blow-by-blow account. I think I went overboard. Oh, shit.

"They're perfect for each other." Mikoto concludes.

That's kinda… twisted. But I remain quiet. Because, you know, this lady here raised men like Itachi and Sasuke. Still… I'm a bit uneasy with where this is going. Now that Mikoto probably found her perfect potential daughter-in-law, she must be prepared to go to any lengths to make them a real couple. I can't have that on my conscience. I won't be the one to put Hinata in a position where she could get hurt again. But how can I tell her not to do anything?

Mikoto must have seen my uneasiness because she says, "We will not interfere, Naruto. If they're meant to be, they're meant to be. Fate will find a way."

Oh, I hope not.

**V^^V**

Life… is like a game of Tetris. There are pieces… some are useful, some are not… that I would very much want to be in its proper place. But… something always, always happens that would prevent that particular piece from being in that proper place. Like this stupid touch screen. I want this long tile over here, dammit. But now it's fucking stuck in the middle of the fucking tiles and I can't with this game anymore. I wasn't even touching the left side of the fucking screen so why did the fucking tile go over there?

"You stalking me?" Someone asks. It's Sasuke. He puts down a can of beer on the patio table and sits down on the opposite chair.

"Who invented Tetris?" I ask, putting down my tablet on the table.

Sasuke picks up my tablet. "The hell should I know… You have porn here?"

"You don't watch porn."

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't." Sasuke shrugs.

I look at him closely. He's back to normal. Did seeing Hinata bring him out of his funk? "There's no porn in there. It's already full of –"

"– Girls' Generation videos." Sasuke mutters dryly. "When are you going to get tired of this shit?"

The fuck. "Hey! Don't talk about my goddesses like that! I'm a fan! That's what fans do! Mind your own business!"

"You should stop. It's creepy."

"Shut up."

"Mom said your mom asked her to tell you that she's expecting you home tomorrow morning to talk."

"Bullshit." I growl, popping the beer can open and taking a swig. I don't know when but I decided that I don't care if I don't meet my father at all. I guess I eventually got used to not having one. I thought as long as I have my mom I'll be fine.

"Mom told your mom that you need some time alone and that maybe it's for the best. What did you do now?"

I didn't answer for a while and just keep on staring at the beer can between my hands. I lean back on the chair. "I met my biological father."

I can feel Sasuke staring at me. "Ah." He finally mumbles. "I guess you storming out of your house must mean that the meeting didn't go well."

"He drives a Porsche."

"You always wanted a Porsche."

"I wanted a Porsche, not a father."

Sasuke smirks. "Take the Porsche and tell your father to go to hell."

I shake my head. "I will never take anything from that someone. I was right. I look like him."

"He must be really ugly then."

I let that pass. "He doesn't have the whiskers, though."

"I take it back. He must not be as ugly as you are."

"Asshole."

Sasuke chuckles.

"He said he had amnesia."

"Who'd believe that?"

"I know, right?"

We become quiet for a while. Sasuke's playing on my tablet whilst I look around the garden. It's beautiful. There are a lot of trees and flowers and there's a koi pond. Sasuke and I spent a lot of time here when we were kids. Sometimes Itachi would hang out with us. And on rare occasions, Fugaku as well. He would let us help feed the kois or some other chores to tend to in the garden. Uchiha Fugaku is not an affectionate father. But I remember being jealous of Sasuke whenever Fugaku told him off. I thought how amazing it would be to have a father who cared enough to smack you in the head and to teach you to do the right thing. But why the fuck am I thinking about this?

I shift round my seat to pretend that I'm interested in the cherry blossom tree on the other side of the garden. "That tree reminds me of your fangirl. Her name's Sakura. She's going to be my partner, I guess. In that stupid musical."

"Hn."

When I'm sure that my eyes have dried, I turn around to look back at Sasuke. "Aren't you guys going anywhere?"

"Father wants to stay here." Sasuke shrugs. "Mom doesn't want to go without him so here we are. Itachi's leaving tomorrow with his girlfriend, of course."

"What about you?"

He puts down the tablet and stretches his legs. "There are a lot of maiko here to keep me entertained."

"I wonder…" I mumble slowly. I think it's safe to talk about Hinata now, "if Hinata-chan said yes, will you still… you know, with other women?"

Sasuke stares at the moon as he contemplates the answer. "Who knows…"

"That's not much of an answer, asshole."

"Your question is stupid anyway. You want to know if I would have been faithful to her? I don't know. Because she didn't say yes, moron."

"Weren't you listening? There's an IF there, bastard!"

"Do you want to know the secret to having a peace of mind?" he asks. He didn't wait for me to even think about it. "Don't entertain for a second any thoughts that start with the words 'what if'."

Sometimes I don't get Sasuke at all. I was just asking him a simple question, geesh. But whatever. "So, what? Are you done with her? Like, _done_ done?"

He takes another pause before answering. "Who knows…"

* * *

><p><em>April 19, 2013 – I know. Another filler. I was thinking of not posting this but then I kinda like this chapter. The latter half, not so much… I know some of you are getting impatient but worry not! We are getting there. Good things (I hope) come to those who wait. ^^<em>

_Thanks so much for the amazing reviews! That chapter drained me, lol! I was I a slump myself this past month… Anyway, good and bad feedbacks are always appreciated. ^^_


	17. Chapter 17

**DISCLAIMER: **It's 1:15 in the morning. Can't write anything witty at the moment.

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><p><strong>+ SHIKAMARU +<strong>

**JUST GOT LAID**

_Sex and Candy - Marcy Playground_

* * *

><p>I'm not a romantic guy.<p>

I travelled to Singapore on my own _not_ to find a holiday fling. I don't believe in that kind of thing anyway. I'm more of a traditional guy. If ever I find someone, I would like us to go out on dates first before we sleep together. And if I can keep my hormones in check, I would like us to get married first before we get to sex. No, I'm not a romantic guy. I'm just traditional.

Eyeing the hotel bar, I sigh. People my age would normally prefer clubs over this bar full of boring, middle-aged tourists. I choose a stool at the far end of the bar. A couple of stools away, a blonde is resting her head on her arms. Blondes. They never leave me alone.

It's fun travelling on my own – no Mom who worries about every little thing, no Dad who acts like an embarrassing overexcited tourist, no Ino who whines about how tired she is, no Chouji who asks for a break every 5 minutes to eat. I was able to go to a lot of places today. I can't help but wonder what I'm going to do for the next three days, though. Singapore is small. I've already visited all the tourist spots. I don't want to do any of those extreme sports I saw on the brochure so that leaves me with… souvenir hunting. I have to buy something for my parents. For the guys, those magnets that the street vendors sell will do. Chouji can complain about how he can't eat it all he likes but I'm on a budget here. I'm sure Naruto can appreciate that magnet. And Sasuke can do whatever the hell he likes with it.

As for Ino… I've been avoiding her since that night in my bedroom. But I know she likes jewelleries. Not that I'm going to buy her anything. Just…

"Hey, pineapple-head." I glance to my left. The drunk blonde is staring at me. I wouldn't have looked up if she hadn't talked in Japanese. "You're Japanese?"

She seems a little older than me. And her eyes are green. Good. "Yeah."

"Funny." She giggles. "Are you alone?"

"I am."

"Why?" she asks in wonder.

I shrug. "No particular reason."

She nods as though she understands perfectly. "My baby brother ditched me. I wanted us to spend the holidays together. Just the two of us, you know? Our older brother's busy with his girlfriend. But my baby brother… my poor baby brother…" she stares off into space before remembering that she's talking to me. "Your siblings giving you a hard time?"

"I'm an only child."

"Lucky you!" she grabs her half-empty glass. "Cheers to that!"

After taking our drinks, a thoughtful silence falls over us. I stare at my glass. Chouji and Ino are my siblings. Well, I considered Ino as a sister until the cliché happened and I fell for her. It's hella creepy to still think of Ino as a sister when I get these embarrassing dreams about her from time to time. I grab my drink and down it in one go. Best not think about _that_ right now.

"You look like you need someone to talk to." The woman mutters smilingly. She leans towards me. "Go on. Talk to me. I'll listen. I have all night."

Why not? She's basically a stranger and the possibility of us running into each other in Japan is slim. For all I know, she could be living in Hokkaido. "Unrequited love."

She grins. "Oh. That. Let me guess. She's your teacher. Or… is it a he?"

"She's my best friend."

"She's married."

"She loves someone else who is in love with someone else."

"Bullshit." The woman snorts. "Have you told her yet?"

"No."

"Then what are you waiting for? Nothing will happen if you say nothing."

"It's not that easy."

"What is?" she exclaims. "Nothing is ever easy in this life! Life is short to wallow in self-pity, buddy."

I stare at my empty glass. "I already know her answer. I don't think I want to hear it. Because if I cross that line, there's no going back. We can't be the way we were."

"I don't know much about this unrequited shit but that's just miserable."

I smile at her. "Thanks."

"Welcome." She raises her glass and stares at me weirdly as she takes a drink.

**V^^V**

How we ended up in her room – on her bed! – I have no fucking idea. We were down at the bar, talking and drinking. The next thing I know, we're at each other's faces. But here she is now, on top of me and shoving her tongue down my throat. She tastes of wine and she smells rather nice. A part of me likes this very much but another part is shouting at me to put a stop to this because I don't even know her name. I pull away to take a breather. We're both panting real hard.

"Are you a virgin?" the woman asks, catching her breath. She must have noticed my inexperienced way of kissing. How am I supposed to know you can do _that_ with tongues?

All the blood that's been going south seems to have found their way up again. "That… I'm… yeah…"

She smiles. "Cute."

And then she takes off her top. My blood goes south again. Before I can even appreciate the bra she's wearing, she's not wearing it anymore. My mouth is completely dry, there's something uncomfortable inside my pants and I can't look away. She's not freakishly huge like the ones I saw in the magazines from my father's secret stash. She's not small either. Oh, no. She's not small. I try to swallow the dry lump in my throat.

The woman's smile grows as she holds her upper body straight. "They're tits. You're supposed to touch them."

I know. But before I can say something, she grinds down on me and oh shit. I grab her waist to stop her movements. "What's… your name?" I ask. It's the first thing I can think of to say. It's not easy trying to think straight when there's a woman grinding against my private parts.

She inches closer and rests her forehead on mine. "My name is 'T'. You?"

"I'm 'S'."

As I bring our mouths together, I didn't care anymore. So what if I don't know who she is, where she's from… She doesn't know anything about me either so whatever. We left all the troubles in our lives outside the door. What's important is the here and now.

**V^^V**

It didn't turn out to be just a one night stand. We did it again and again for three days straight. Thankfully, I remembered that I was supposed to buy souvenirs for my family and friends and so I was able to leave her room yesterday. I thought we were finally done but I was wrong. She waited for me at the hotel lobby and we spent the night together again.

Now I understand why Sasuke likes sex so much.

However, when I lay awake beside her, I couldn't seem to shake off the guilt I was feeling. Am I feeling guilty because I had sex with a woman who's practically a stranger? Or am I feeling guilty because I keep thinking of Ino? I feel like I'm betraying her. Which makes absolutely no sense. How did I betray her? We're just friends. Nothing more. So I should not be feeling guilty. I couldn't quite understand it. I would puzzle over that weird feeling until the woman beside me stirred and we would lose ourselves again in each other.

I look around the airport. She never told me when she's coming back to Japan. I think it's for the best. It was fun while it lasted. Whatever _it_ was. Holiday fling? Definitely. I know I should be wary of strangers offering pleasure but I can sense that, even though she's a woman with experience, she's no wanton. She's not the type of person who would fall into bed with just anyone. I'm not delusional to actually think she liked me but she was definitely interested. I don't know if I like her. Sure, I liked having sex with her. I liked the noises she would make. I liked that she taught me a lot about sex. I liked that she knew a lot about sex. I liked the feelings she made me feel during sex. Basically, the things I liked about her involves sex. I'd like to think it was just about sex. But we had a few conversations and I found out that she's smart, intellectual, and insightful. But would I like her outside the bedroom? I have no idea. She may be blonde but she's no Ino.

I clutch the little package in my pocket. I don't know what possessed me to buy Ino a ring. A freaking ring. It's so expensive that I ended up buying everyone (my parents included) key chains. What was I thinking? I saw the stupid ring and I thought of Ino and the next thing I know, I was walking out of the store with this package. It's been happening to me a lot lately – doing stuff without thinking them through. And now that I have the time to think… I can't give Ino this ring. It's supposed to be Sasuke. Ino wanted Sasuke to give her a ring on her 18th birthday. She will never accept this ring. That's why I have to find a way to get rid of this.

But it can wait. I see my Dad waving at me by the exit. He gives me a hug when I reach him.

"Old man." Dad greets happily. "How was your trip? Feeling like a grown-up now?"

I lost my virginity abroad. So yeah, I definitely feel like a grown-up. But no one tells their parents that. I give Dad a smile. "It was something I will never forget."

* * *

><p><em>April 19, 2013 – Surprise! Double-post! I figured since the previous chapter's a filler, I should give you guys another filler LOL! Nah, this just popped into my head out of nowhere. I don't quite know where to put this. Chapter 16's supposed to be Hinata but I don't want to have a back-to-back Hinata chapters so here you go. Back-to-back filler chapters, lol!<em>

_It's my first time writing a scene like that *blushing*. I don't want to go all the way. I want my first lemon to be SasuHina, lmao!_

_I think most of you guys have figured out who T is already and I ship her with Shikamaru more than ShikaIno. Sorry to those who are disappointed. But! Nothing's final yet. Who knows… who knows…_

_I wasn't sure if I should post this chapter either. I will totally not blame you guys for not liking them too. Anyway, next chapter is Hinata (no SasuHina, though). Then Sasuke (lots of SasuHina. I think)._


	18. Chapter 18

**DISCLAIMER: **gashaksgah! Yondaime! hagshgjha!

* * *

><p><strong>+ HINATA +<strong>

**IT ISN'T MY LIFE IF THERE'S NO FUCKERY IN IT**

_Tegami – Angela Aki_

* * *

><p>It was a beautiful summer day.<p>

The park was full of people. But I couldn't see them. All I could see was him. He was walking in front of me. I remember how much I liked it. I liked watching his back. I remember how happy I felt. He asked me out. Me, a 13-year-old girl who wanted nothing more than to fit in. And when he asked me out, I thought finally I belonged. He turned around and looked at me.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"N-nothing." I answered with a blush. He caught me staring.

He held out his hand and smiled. "Walk with me."

"Y-yes! Sentarou-kun."

It was our first date. Or so I thought at the time. I glare at the ceiling. That dream again. Why can't the past remain buried in the past? More importantly, I am over him. Dreaming about that time, about him… it's unnecessary. I don't feel anything anymore. Not even anger. There's nothing left after my accident. I just don't care anymore.

"Hinata-chan?" Tenten knocks on my door. "Are you awake?"

"Yes." I call out. We spent the Golden Week together, Tenten and I. There was a lot of chatting, food, and chick flicks involved that week. But in Tenten's case, a lot of booze.

"Someone's looking for you."

I frown. There's something off with Tenten's tone which I think implies it's someone not welcome. Today is Sunday. Who the hell could it be? It's not my mother, that's for sure. She's probably somewhere in the Caribbean. I open the door. "Who –?"

Because this apartment is tiny, I can see the front door from my bedroom door.

Ko bows down respectfully. And without further ado, delivers the most dreaded news of the day – the most dreaded news in a long while, actually. "Hiashi-sama sent for you."

Fuck.

V^^V

Years of sitting down in front of my father has taught me how to be a statue. When I was a child, a mantra would play in my head like a broken record: don't fidget, don't fidget, don't fidget. It eventually worked and I have perfected the art of being a statue. I wait for my father to finish whatever it is he's doing in front of the computer. He hasn't said anything but 'come in' since I walked inside his study twenty minutes ago. Here I am. Sitting in front of Hyuuga Hiashi, one of the most powerful men in Japan. Also, my father. For some strange reason, I feel calm even though I'm most likely in trouble. No, I am in trouble. He wouldn't have summoned me here otherwise.

But I'm calm.

That is, until I hear the unmistakable sounds of him leaning back on the chair. He's done working. I can feel him observing me silently. Oh shit, here we go. Don't fidget, don't fidget, don't fidget.

"Your bodyguards," he starts, making me jump for a bit. Damn. "told me you didn't go anywhere this past week."

I don't know what to say to that. I mean, I can't really express what I really think. Which falls along the lines of 'Stop having me followed, Father. It's creepy'.

"You stayed inside that apartment." Father continues. "Occasionally you would go out to get some supplies. They told me about the alcohols."

Again, I keep my head down and remain quiet. What does he expect me to say? He didn't ask me any question. Not yet, anyway. Besides, I see nothing wrong with me buying alcohol. At least I didn't steal them.

"You're still underage." He reminds me quietly. "Is that how you should behave? You may be living separately and enjoying your independence but remember that you still carry the Hyuuga name."

I feel like I should defend myself. "P-p-please, F-Father… t-those w-weren't m-mine. T-ten… m-my r-roommate a-asked me to b-buy them…" Fuck my stupid stutter. That's not entirely a lie. Tenten did ask me to go buy booze and I drank at least one can of beer but I'm not going to tell him that. If I tell him that I drank beer (even though it's just one can!), he'll think I got wasted and embarrassed the whole clan with my so-called behaviour. My father will never understand. He's _that_ narrow-minded. And he will never appreciate the fact that we drank beer inside the apartment and not in a public place.

"What is it with that woman?" Father asks with a sneer. "She now has you wrapped around her finger. Fortunately, Neji saw sense and put an end to that farce."

"It's n-not like t-that, Father. Tenten-chan is my friend." I've had my fair share of phoney friends for as long as I can remember. I can tell that Tenten is not a fake. The whole clan didn't just disapprove of Tenten. They hated her. So much so that Tenten couldn't take it anymore and she was the one who ended up her relationship with Neji-niisan.

"No matter." Father says dismissively. He grows quiet for a while. I can feel the weight of his stare. Is he contemplating my punishment? "You spent the holidays in that apartment. Getting drunk, I presume. Or if not, what was so important that you couldn't attend the festivities?"

Because spending time with this family does not make me feel festive. And my father's a hypocrite. What about you, Father? What was so important that you couldn't attend my high school graduation? What was so important that you didn't visit me in the hospital? I bite my lip. "M-my a-a-apologies, F-Father."

"You are my eldest daughter. You have duties to fulfill."

"Y-yes, F-Father."

I hear his chair move. "This is the last time. Neglect your duties to your clan again and the consequences will be dire. Leave."

As much as I want to run away, I have to remember _my duties_. I get up to my feet as graciously as I can to give him a proper bow, as though my ass is not sore from sitting for the past thirty-five minutes. I walk to the door and I have to restrain myself from dashing out of there. Once outside in the hallway, I finally let go of the breath I've been holding and I stagger to the end of the hallway. When I reach a corner, I crouch down.

It hurts so bad. It's times like this that I want to cut myself. Surely physical pain is nothing compared to this pain inside? First my mother. And now my father. Meeting up with your parents should not make you want to kill yourself afterwards. I smile humourlessly. What the fuck. When bad things happen, worse things follow. Really, I have a shitty life. A noise somewhere shakes me out of my preoccupation. I have to get out of here. Before one of The Aunts find me.

But then, of course. I have the worst luck. Just as I descend the grand staircase, who else is waiting there for me but the eldest of The Aunts. She's looking up at me with that annoying holier-than-thou expression on her face. I have half a mind to purposefully trip my self down the stairs so that I can avoid talking to any of them.

"Hinata." She calls out sweetly. Her voice reminds me of Umbridge. She kinda looks like Umbridge too. "The servants told me you're here. Come, let's have some tea."

Sighing, I follow her. I can do this. I can face them. After that meeting with my father, enduring the company of The Aunts is nothing. When they're done with whatever the hell they want with me they'll leave me alone and pretend that I do not exist. Of course I will remain seated until they say I can go. It's part of their torture or something. But like I said, I've perfected the art of being a statue so sitting down quietly is nothing. It's part of _my duty_, after all. The Aunts are not really my aunts. They are my father's aunts. There are three of them – Aunt Aki, Aunt Nami and Aunt Makiko. All of them are spinsters. Bitter Spinsters is what some of my cousins call them. Aunt Nami and Aunt Makiko are already seated at the table, waiting for us.

"Hinata." Aunt Nami smiles. She finds everything to be amusing. She's the most bitter of them all, I think. She was jilted on her wedding day. "You lost weight. It must be the food that impoverished woman serves you."

"Or that lowly neighbourhood." Aunt Makiko adds snobbishly. She's the youngest. And the prettiest… but with the ugliest personality. She looks at me coldly. "You have some nerve showing up here after what you did."

I would have been dragged here if I refused. I say nothing. They'll just twist whatever I say. It was toxic growing up with these three. After my parents' divorce, they moved here and took care of my mother's responsibilities. Which were a lot since – as The Aunts frequently mention – my mother knew nothing about being a wife and all she ever did was to look pretty. They never liked my mother and my mother never liked them.

"She has some nerve _not_ to show up, you mean." Aunt Nami mutters in amusement. "I'm pretty sure she already had an earful from Hiashi so let's proceed to other matters. What do you think of 500 guests, Hinata?"

"G-g-guests?" I ask, stuttering.

"Guests for your eighteenth birthday." Aunt Makiko snaps. "Your stutter is as annoying as ever."

You're as annoying as always. Wait… my birthday guests? 500 guests? I don't think I know a lot of people, much less 500 people. Right now I can only think of 3 people I would want to celebrate my birthday with. Five, if Sakura and Ino are still my friends. Seven, if I remain friends with Naruto and Gaara by December. "B-but… m-my b-birthday is m-months away."

"It's your eighteenth birthday." Aunt Aki says. "Your coming of age. An appropriate time for you to find a betrothed."

"Hence, the 500 guests." Aunt Makiko continues maliciously. "Who knows, someone might actually pick you out from the crowd."

"If she manages to stand out." Aunt Nami laughs.

Unbidden, I remember that night in the club where I gave Uchiha Sasuke a bruise. There were a lot of people on the dance floor and yet… I was the one he grabbed. _You're mine,_ he whispered. I can feel my face heating up. I look up at the Aunts. They're all busy talking and pretending I don't exist to notice anything. Seriously, though. Why do I still remember that? Because Uchiha Sasuke picked me out from the crowd? Any normal person would be flattered but… I was never a normal person. Besides, Uchiha just wanted someone to play with. There's nothing flattering about that.

V^^V

I look around my suite in reminiscence. This was more of a home to me than the whole Hyuuga mansion. Aside from the gardens, this was where I spent most of my time. I'm actually quite surprised that everything is still in place. I thought the Aunts had this room renovated and turned into a storage room or something. But no one touched anything, except maybe the servants who kept the room clean. It's as if I never left. I walk over to the white grand piano at the far side of the spacious sitting room. I missed this piano. My father gave it to me on my first birthday. I always thought it was a bit weird having a grand piano as a present at the age of one. Nevertheless, I will always be grateful for this gift. This piano is like a friend. We've been through a lot. This was the sole witness during my darkest times. My only companion.

Fifteen.

I start playing one of my favourite songs, Angela Aki's Tegami. It was my darkest time, when I was fifteen. I was all alone. Kiba and Shino were miles away. I had no friends. My mother got married again. My father was never home. My sister was too young to understand anything. I couldn't burden her with my problems. While Neji-niisan was always by my side, I didn't want him to worry about me. I was lonely all the time – when I'm alone and when I'm with people. I think it was around that time that I considered suicide.

"That song again." Someone mutters loudly from the doorway. I look up and see Hanabi staring at me. I didn't even hear her come in.

"Hey." I smile at her.

She heads over the couch and settles down comfortably. "The Aunts told me you're here."

"Father's angry because I didn't show up last week."

She nods in understanding but refrained to comment about it. "How's college?"

"Different. How's school?"

"The same." Hanabi shrugs indifferently.

"Mother told me you're ignoring her."

"Someone has to." She glances at me thoughtfully. "I thought you finally grew a spine. What are you doing here?"

I shrug.

Hanabi regards me quietly. I can't read her expression. She's really good at hiding her emotions. I was never able to do that. She's more of a Hyuuga than I am. "You always do that. I can handle anything. I'm tough."

"I know."

We used to be close. Really close. But after that accident things changed… or was it me? I suppose I was the one who changed. I turned people away emotionally. Even my little sister. Funny how that accident changed a lot of things. My wounds have healed. But it was the invisible scar that still pains me.

"You don't. That's the problem." Hanabi gets to her feet and steps out of the open door. "Dinner's at seven."

I watch her leave. Things have become awkward between us but at least we don't hate each other. At least I don't think so. The Aunts had been saying how Hanabi deserved to be the heiress, within my hearing. I know she's their favourite. They never hide that fact. But no matter how much influence The Aunts might have on my sister, I know that she will never turn against me.

I glance at my watch. An hour to go before another torture. Dinner will be torture, no doubt. The Aunts are there. Worst, my father is there. Why do they even want me there… I wish Neji-niisan is here. I miss him.

V^^V

I'm not a very confident person. That's why I always try not to be late. Because being late means I have to enter the room while the professor's in the middle of discussing the lesson and I have to cope with everyone's stare. I don't like it when people stare. Thankfully, I have avoided being late in my classes. So far. But I'm not about to start now. I run up the stairs to the fifth floor. If I can deal with it, I'd rather not use an elevator. I don't trust elevators. I have issues with confined spaces. But then I don't even know why I bother rushing to my class when the professor's face is on the definition of the word 'late' in the dictionary. Well, it'll be even more embarrassing if I show up much later than the Late Professor.

The fifth floor corridor is deserted since most classes have already started. Our room is usually noisy but it's strangely quiet. I skid to a halt right outside the room 'cause what the hell is Uchiha Sasuke doing in my class? I double check the room number and peek inside again. My classmates are inside. Gaara's inside. Why is Uchiha Sasuke inside?

Someone must really hate me up there. Like, seriously, what the hell…

"Aren't you going inside?" someone whispers from behind and I freaking jumped in surprise. It's no other than Professor Hatake. He smiles. Well, his one visible eye looks like it's smiling. Damn mask. "Sorry for startling you. Did you just arrive to class?"

Shit. Maybe I should lie that I went to the bathroom. But I'm carrying all my stuff and I probably look flustered since I ran up the stairs. What to do?

"You know," Professor Hatake murmurs quietly, "if I go in first you'll be the one late."

I squeak out an apology before diving inside hurriedly. I can feel everyone staring at me. What's with the eerie silence? I was about to turn to my left when I remembered who is sitting there and so I veer to the right. Gaara stands up and steps away to let me pass and to prevent me from stepping on his foot again. I sigh in relief as I manage to sit down without bumping into anyone or anything. But then I make a mistake of glancing to my right. I was going to say thank you to Gaara but… those eyes captured mine.

For a second. Because then he looks away. I look away too, only to notice how everyone's watching us. By us I mean me and Uchiha Sasuke. My classmates didn't even have the decency to stop staring. Are they waiting for something to happen?

"It's rude to stare, people!" Professor Hatake calls out from the front. "Don't mind Uchiha Sasuke. Just pretend he's not here. Or, you can keep staring at him and you will do what he's doing right now – makeup classes."

Oh, so that's why he's here. I thought… never mind. "Thanks for the songs." I mumble to Gaara as I get my Literature book from my bag. "They're really great. They helped me a lot too."

Gaara just nods his head. I smile. He prefers expressing his thoughts through music, I think. I shift into a more comfortable position on my seat as I wait for Professor Hatake to start his lecture. Despite him being constantly late, he is an amazing teacher. He made what could have easily been the most boring subject into something so fascinating. Listening to a lecture about Macbeth is even enough to make me forget that Uchiha Sasuke is sitting a few feet away.

* * *

><p><em>May 15, 2013 – I'm glad I'm done with this chapter. It just hit me that we're now at chapter 18. I am taking so long, aren't I? I will not make you guys wait as long as we waited for Tobi to be unmasked (I was pissed off about that. I bawled my eyes out in Kakashi Gaiden. I felt betrayed). And so I put in a little SasuHina here. The latter part should be in Hinata's next chapter but here we go.<em>

_Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming! ~.^_


	19. Chapter 19

**DISCLAIMER: **NARUTO CHAPTER 631, GUYS! MY SASUHINA FEEEEEEELLLSSS!

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><p><strong>+ SASUKE +<strong>

**I'M DONE PRETENDING I'M DONE**

_Every Breath You Take – The Police_

* * *

><p><em>[Thursday, May 7]<em>

Dear Diary,

I don't know what I was thinking but today I attended my classes after being absent for a while. It was the same as always – boring. So I don't know why I still bother when classes leave me feeling frustrated. And because the universe hates me, I saw Hyuuga Hinata. Which makes me feel even more frustrated. I can't seem to get the image of her from that night out of my mind. She looked so fucking beautiful. She was even more dazzling than the diamond necklace she was wearing. I like her in heels, Diary. That was really hot. And that dress. She fucking glowed in that black dress. She was most likely forced by her mother to wear that but still, I thank her for making Hinata wear a dress. A dress that hugged her every curve in the most delicious ways. Just thinking about it again makes me hot and bothered, Diary. I'm not supposed to feel hot and bothered. I'm not supposed to feel anymore.

_[Friday, May 8]_

Dear Diary,

Someone up there has a twisted sense of humor. I swore that I will never have anything to do with Hyuuga Hinata any longer but fate keeps throwing it in my fucking face. I see her everywhere, Diary. Like literally. I saw her five times today. Five! And in those five encounters, not once did she spare me a single fucking glance. But that's okay, Diary. At least she didn't see me checking her out, right? She wore another oversized knit cardigan that she seemed to really like and spotty chiffon dress. I thought she looked really cute. But I really hate that her hair's up in that messy bun again. But what the fuck am I doing talking about how fucking cute she looked today? Back when I still cared about Hyuuga Hinata, I would be crying (not really) in gratitude if I so much as gotten a glimpse of her head once. But now that I don't care about her anymore, I see her every-fucking-where. That is not cool, Diary.

_[Saturday, May 9]_

Dear Diary,

I absolutely loathe the fact that Complex C – where the Drama Club and Music Club are at – is right in front of the basketball gym. I fucking hate it. I didn't see Hyuuga Hinata today, Diary. I should not be caring anymore. But who the fuck am I kidding? I know there's a small part in my subconscious that's still hoping to see her again and again. This is fucking messing up with my mind. The universe wants me to see her? Fine. But just when I was getting used to seeing her every-fucking-where, the next day I don't see her anymore. And maybe I'm sort of kinda secretly hoping to see her, so what? But then what do you know, Diary? An opportunity presented itself. I will see more of her on Tuesday. I have to do this make-up class for Literature and, that's right, the make-up class is with Hyuuga Hinata's class. When Kakashi told me about it this afternoon, I was conflicted. Part of me was ecstatic and the other part thought it was a bad idea. But I'm Uchiha Sasuke, Diary. I don't get confused. And so I will attend that class. Not because I still cared. It's because I don't. You'll see, Diary. I will sit in that class and I will not care that Hyuuga Hinata is there.

_[Sunday, May 10]_

Dear Diary,

Hangover on a Sunday. Classic. The guys dropped by last night. It was supposed to be a happy post-birthday celebration for Chouji but we were all very gloomy. Except for the birthday celebrant, of course. Chouji loves his birthday. He loves it so much he didn't care if the atmosphere was glum. Naruto's still in denial of the fact that his biological father is back and likely to stay this time. I'm having issues regarding Hyuuga Hinata. Nothing new there. And Shikamaru… I know he's been keeping something from us since he got back from Singapore. I thought there was something different about him somehow. Turns out I'm right, Diary. Shikamaru lost his v-card. He admitted that to me after Naruto and Chouji passed out drunk on the floor. I'm happy for him. And I thought he'll be happy too but no. The guy looked like he committed a crime or something. I didn't ask what's wrong. I'm not Naruto. If people want to divulge their innermost thoughts to me, they're welcome. But if not, I will not bother asking them what's wrong. So, since Shikamaru never said anything else last night, I suppose he's not ready to discuss it.

_[Monday, May 11]_

Dear Diary,

What a shitty day. I woke up at 3 AM because of that stupid idiot's call. He was in hysterics. I thought there was a fucking accident but apparently he had a dream that the musical turned into a Mexican telenovela. Like, what the fuck. I hang up on him, of course. But then after that, I couldn't go back to sleep. You know very well that lack of sleep makes me very cranky, Diary. I glared at everyone, shouted at a couple of fangirls and punched Naruto. Glaring at everyone is expected of me. Shouting at a couple of fangirls is probably wrong. They don't deserve it. They're only 10 years old, after all. But Naruto… he fucking deserved it. I wouldn't be in a bad mood if it wasn't for him. Fuck, I feel like I'm gonna be in a bad mood until tomorrow.

_[Tuesday, May 12]_

Dear Diary,

I think I'm making a progress. In the "not caring" whatever. We locked eyes, Hyuuga Hinata and I. And what did I do? Nothing! I looked away. I was the one who looked away first. HA! How's that, Hyuuga Hinata? You don't affect me in any way anymore. You don't – fuck this. The hell. I am very affected, Diary. And I shouldn't be. I know I should not be affected but… she arrived late in class. How late? Kakashi arrived a minute after her. I sat in that class for 15 minutes wondering what happened to her. I was so worried that I even contemplated looking for her. I was seriously considering it when she finally made an appearance. I sighed with relief as I saw her peering in from outside the classroom. She looked fine. Hell, she looked flushed. So flushed that it prompted a series of images in my overactive imagination. One of which involved a forbidden tryst on the staircase. Anyway, she was surprised to see me there. She didn't want to get inside, judging by the expression on her face. She went inside eventually. And for a few seconds I held my breath when she walked towards me. Alas, she must have remembered I was there and went to the other side of the classroom instead. To sit right beside the red-headed wannabe rock star.

Sabaku Gaara.

My new favorite person. No, not really. Naruto told me about him. How Hinata brought him inside her apartment to heal his wounds. I didn't feel threatened by that, Diary. Especially when I saw him for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Naruto described Sabaku Gaara as charismatic. But what does the idiot knows? Nothing. He only knows pretty girls and their long legs. If you get past the initial shock of seeing a man's tattooed face, you're left with nothing to write home about. The red hair and heavy eyeliner are common features you see on every one of aspiring rock stars roaming the streets at night. They're rarely out during the day and that's why they're pale. And that's also why when they do come out at daytime, people stare at them. Sabaku Gaara has no sex appeal. Zero. I think he even relies on his androgynous looks to attract attention. While I waited for Hinata to make an appearance this morning, I observed him. He kept to himself. He didn't talk to anyone and no one dared to come close to him. In fact, everyone seemed scared of him. Sure, he might look intimidating but the guy is freaking skinny… I don't feel threatened at all. Sabaku Gaara is no competition.

There's no competition to begin with anyway. I'm done with Hyuuga Hinata. So what if I was sizing him up? So what if I watched the two of them the entire time? No one will know. Only you, Diary. And before you start judging me, I didn't watch them just because I was jealous or any bullshit like that. I was curious. What kind of man would attract Hyuuga Hinata's interest? Apparently she finds the silent, impassive, pale and skinny type interesting. The idea of someone finding that person more appealing than I am is laughable. There must be something wrong with Hyuuga Hinata's brain. And yet… I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. She was attentive in Kakashi's lecture. What I wouldn't give to have her undivided attention… When she chuckled at one of Kakashi's lame jokes, I could feel my resolve slipping away. I had to remind myself that I can never have her. Even if I resort to drastic measures she will never be mine. It was agonizing to go through that again, Diary. I already put an end to it in the restaurant. I was so confounded by these thoughts that I was the first out of the door the moment Kakashi said dismissed.

But then I made the mistake of looking back. I should not have seen Hinata tripping. I should not have seen Sabaku Gaara holding her arm to steady her. I should not have seen Hinata blushing and smiling in apology at him. I should not have seen the small smile on Sabaku Gaara's face as he watched Hinata. Something inside me clenched painfully. Looking back was a mistake.

V^^V

Cursing, I navigate through the school grounds carefully. Students are not allowed to drive their cars inside the campus but bicycles are so high school. Besides, who can say no to Uchiha Sasuke? Aside from Hyuuga Hinata, that is. I glare at the throng of chatting students crossing the street. I wait patiently for them to pass by, wanting nothing more than to sound the horn at them to fucking hurry up and to stop staring at me and my car.

Everything is incredibly frustrating these days. Especially that thing that happened yesterday. I almost, _almost_, wavered in my resolve. I stick to my decisions. Nothing ever happens that will make me question the decisions I made. Until yesterday. Seeing Hinata with that guy… I wanted to do something really stupid. Like grab her arm and wrench her away from Sabaku Gaara. She's not mine. She will never be mine. I already put an end to it. I can't go back to wanting someone who doesn't want to have anything to do with me.

The path finally cleared and tempted though I am to speed off, I maintain my snail's pace. I still have to abide by the rules, lest I run over someone… I incline my head as I notice a woman in front, on her bike and wearing very short shorts. Nice legs. Smirking, I speed up a little. It feels like a long time since someone caught my interest.

Hinata who?

The smirk on my face slowly dies as I start to wonder why the woman looks so familiar. "Fucking unbelievable." I scoff, staring. Her hair's up in that stupid bun again so it was difficult to see the color and she's wearing another oversized sweater. The universe really, really hates me.

Lowering my window, I stop right next to her. She glances at my car curiously then glares at me suspiciously. "Do you usually go biking in just your underwear?"

Hinata's face reddens in an instant, her bike skidding to a halt and she stutters out, "W-w-what? E-e-e-excuse m-mee?"

"I suppose if you have the goods," I mutter as I stare at her creamy thighs appreciatively, "better show them off."

She dismounts from the bike to smooth down her tweed shorts. Which is not as short as it was a moment ago. "It's not… it keeps riding up, ok? And stop staring!"

Kami… she's so cute when she's all embarrassed. "It's hard not to. Your legs are screaming for every red-blooded male to stare at them."

"You're… whatever." She mounts (oh, the erotic images in my mind) her bike angrily. She gets ready to start pedalling when she turns to glare at me as though she just remembered something. "Fuck you."

And just like that… my resolve is gone. I watch her bike away. I will have those legs and all of you, Hyuuga Hinata.

* * *

><p><em>May 22, 2013 – No, Sasuke doesn't have a diary. It's just a concept that crossed my mind. I thought it's funny. I seriously had a few laughs writing this. The song I posted, by the way, is the ultimate stalker song LOL! I apologize for the mistakes here and there but I'm too excited to post this that I'm now too lazy to reread and revise this chapter. Hence, it's a little short. But I feel like this is pretty much it for this chapter.<em>

_Thanks for the amazing reviews, as always! And, wow! About the being late in class thing, I thought I was the only one with that problem. I never had a classmate with the same problem. Also, not once in my life did I excuse my self in class. Just saying 'may I go out' embarrassed me. Yeah, I'm that shy._


	20. Chapter 20

**DISCLAIMER: **If Naruto belongs to me, there'll be a lot of fluffiness.

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><p><strong>+ HINATA +<strong>

**THINGS NEVER TURN OUT THE WAY WE EXPECT THEM TO**

_Hungry Heart – Bruce Springsteen_

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><p>I can still feel my face burning up as I enter the mini theatre. Stupid Uchiha Sasuke and his stupid smirk. How can he say something like that? Now I feel more self-conscious than usual. What even possessed me to wear shorts… oh, that's right. All my clothes are in the hamper. Heck, my room is filled with dirty clothes. I had nothing else to wear. Which means I have to do my laundry soon, a chore I'm not looking forward to doing. Maybe I should just go shopping for something to wear this week. I look around the theatre. It's packed with people. I finally spot Kiba in a corner.<p>

"Does it look like I'm wearing underwear?" I ask Kiba, standing in front of him.

He looks at my shorts curiously. "Why? You're not wearing underwear?"

"Uchiha said that this shorts looks like underwear."

"Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yeah."

"Don't listen to that asshole." Kiba says dismissively and goes back to chewing his pen. "They're not that short."

"I know, right?" I take the seat next to him.

"Why are you wearing shorts, anyway?"

"I didn't do my laundry for two weeks."

Kiba laughs in amusement. "Wait, you do your own laundry? You? You actually wash your own clothes?"

"I live on my own now." I shrug. "Who else will do my laundry?"

He pats my head as he would his dog. "Good girl. Is Uchiha Sasuke bothering you again?"

"He was in my class yesterday but he didn't bother me."

It was strange having him there. I swear I could feel Uchiha's eyes all through the lesson but when I turned, he wasn't even looking up from his book. I don't know what bothered me the most: that Uchiha was staring at me again or that he wasn't. Regardless of whether he was staring or not, I couldn't shake off the feeling that Uchiha's going to do something stupid. Or something really embarrassing. Like when he just marched inside the Ladies' Room in that restaurant as though he owned the place. Good thing no one else was inside. Anyway, by the end of the lesson I was a nervous wreck. I was sure Uchiha was up to something. But I was wrong. Nothing happened. Uchiha didn't do anything. He practically bolted out of the classroom. I was relieved that Uchiha behaved however… I was – maybe, kinda, sort of, in a way, but not really – disappointed that he left just like that. I don't know why I even felt disappointed. It's so weird.

Naruto steps on the stage wearing a trench coat and a huge grin. The crowd erupts to a cheer. I clap along with them. I didn't know that Naruto's this popular. He must be really good at playing basketball. And maybe because of that reputation, most of the Drama Club is not sure if Naruto's right for the role. They're convinced that he will screw up the musical and suggested to have him join the chorus instead. But right now Naruto is here to prove that he can sing as –

"Oh, my gosh." I gasp when Naruto removes the trench coat to reveal the wife beater and shorts – shorts that's shorter than mine – underneath. And then the intro starts playing. "He's singing Genie?"

Kiba laughs excitedly. He's on his feet now, cheering like mad. "That idiot! I didn't think he'll do it but he did!"

I watch Naruto in awe as he sings the Korean version of Girls' Generation's Genie. Oh, dear. He's also doing the choreography. His legs, omg. And his face… the cutesy expressions he's making… I can't even. The crowd loves it. Everyone's on their feet, catcalling and some even have their phones out. I'm not sure if this is the right song but at least everyone's having a good time.

V^^V

"How was that?" Naruto asks half an hour later, bouncing excitedly. "Wasn't that exciting or what? Man, I am so pumped!"

"That was really good, Naruto-kun." I compliment him. The crowd even demanded an encore. But the Drama Club ordered everyone who's not a member of Drama Club and Music Club to leave. The councils of both clubs are now having a meeting and will make an announcement afterwards. Meanwhile, the rest of us are waiting for them to finish up outside in the hallway. Kiba already left because of his part-time job. Sakura already left too because of I don't know what.

Naruto grins sheepishly. "I've wanted to do that but I didn't know where so when the peeping tom told me to sing something, that's the first song that popped in my head. Crazy, huh?"

"Peeping tom?" I ask. Sometimes I don't understand what he's saying.

"The Drama Club president." Naruto whispers, looking around cautiously. "I call her that because she was in the locker rooms and she heard me singing in the shower. Creepy pervert. Anyway, I didn't expect people to turn up but they did! It was so much fun!"

"You have a lot of fans. You must be really good in basketball."

"Eh? Uhm, yeah. I'm an awesome basketball player. But those people are not basketball fans."

"They're not?"

"Nope." Naruto answers, grinning. He takes out his phone. "I tweeted about it."

He shows his tweet to me: _Will perform later! Wish me luck! #SNSD #genie #breakaleg_

"So those people showed up because of that?" I ask in amusement.

"Yep! They're also SONEs and they know me because I'm a board member and all. They came to support me and they said that they can't wait to see my first ever musical. It kinda makes me feel good, y'know? To have admirers, in a way, I guess. It was always Sasuke…"

I don't know how to respond after hearing _that_ name. Remembering that quip about underwear… I'm so glad I told him to go fuck himself. I feel my phone vibrating in my bag. Thankful for a distraction, I fish out my phone. I receive a text: _I'm outside. Let's talk._ I stare at my phone.

"Everything ok?" Naruto asks worriedly. "Is it the bastard? Funny how that happen sometimes. Like when you're talking about someone and then they suddenly turn up."

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I have to go out for a while."

He looks lost for a moment and then grins. "Sure, no problem!"

I make my way downstairs apprehensively. Ino's the one I've been most nervous to talk with since this whole thing with Uchiha Sasuke began. Between her and Sakura, Ino's the outspoken one. She's not afraid to voice out her thoughts. I'm used to verbal lashings. I get them for breakfast, lunch and supper back at the Hyuuga mansion. But this is Ino. She and Sakura had been my first real girl friends. It will hurt to hear insults from them. I'm fine with what Sakura did because that was not a face-to-face thing. I hate confrontations. I suck at confrontations.

Ino's sitting on a bench, waiting for me. She doesn't look angry. I suppose that's a good thing. Taking a deep breath, I approach her. She didn't glance at me when I sit down next to her.

"I confessed to Sasuke-kun today." Ino states calmly after a few seconds of silence. "He turned me down."

I look at her. I've always admired Yamanaka Ino. Almost nothing fazes her. I've never seen her cry. Not even now. "I'm sorry."

"I wish you're a normal person so that I may pretend that you're not sincerely sorry." She finally turns to look at me. "But you're Hyuuga Hinata. You're not a normal person. You're always sincerely sorry over trivial things that most of the time was not even your fault. And that makes me feel even more ashamed of myself."

I don't know what to say to that so I remain quiet.

Ino continues. "I sent Sasuke-kun a note. I told him you rejected him on purpose… that it was your plan to make him fall for you. I hoped that he would lose interest in you and to make him angry at you."

"It didn't work." So that's why he wanted to know why I rejected him. I don't care if Uchiha believed that or not.

"It didn't. You're not angry."

I shrug. "Worst things happened."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"For what?"

"I didn't want this to happen. Thank you… for everything and… for being a really good friend."

Ino laughs all of a sudden. "You sound like you're saying goodbye… Wait, you so are. What, are you ending our friendship?"

"Things will never be the same. We can't be… friends anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because of the things that happened?"

"Do you think I'll do something like that again? Please." she tosses her long blonde hair haughtily. "I will not stoop that low again. I'm not proud of what I did. And I know that despite the fact that you said you're not angry, you're very hurt. It will never happen again. I promise."

What is she saying? Is she saying… "W-what do you mean?"

She just smiles. "Do you know why Sakura and I decided to become your friend?"

"You felt sorry for me?"

"Yeah, that." Ino agrees, chuckling. "You were very quiet. You still are. If someone so much as look at you, you would flinch. You always had your head down. You always looked sad. You were scared of people. You would eat your lunch in the bathroom, for crying out loud."

I can't help but chuckle too. "I was very weird in high school."

"You're still weird." Ino tells me warmly, nudging me a little. When did she move closer? There was at least 2 feet of space between us. "Anyway, I got tired of watching you literally become a wallflower so I told Sakura that enough is enough. We're talking to the rich girl. And the rest as they say is history… I like being friends with you, Hyuuga Hinata. Don't turn me away. The things that happened, they're nothing more than just obstacles to test our friendship. We'll get through this. You, me… and Sakura. Give Sakura time. She'll come around."

We've been ignoring each other. But not in a mean girl kind of way. It's more like, we're awkward. Blinking away the sudden moistness in my eyes, I look at Ino. "Are you saying…?"

"I'm saying I want to stay friends with you, silly." She admonishes teasingly. She suddenly becomes wistful. "Friends are more important. Who else can I turn to after being turned down by the man I love?"

I'm a little uncomfortable with physical contact. I'm a Hyuuga in that aspect at least. But I make myself reach for Ino's hand. I give her a reassuring squeeze. "You'll be fine."

She smiles. A true, genuine smile. We remain like that for a while – smiling at each other and holding hands. It's very fluffy. Until… "Don't feel bad if you start liking him."

What the hell. Way to ruin the mood, Ino. "I don't think so."

I try to retract my hands but she wouldn't let me. She moves closer, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Oh, what's this? Why are you so uptight, Hyuuga Hinata?" she gasps theatrically. I think I've had enough of theatrics. "Could it be? There's already something going on between you two!"

"No, no. There's nothing…" A woman who just confessed to the man she loves and was turned down and currently dealing with a broken heart, should not be talking about this.

"Good!" she exclaims in approval. "But I'm serious. It's okay if you start liking him. Although… I suppose it's not good if you start liking him right away. I mean, you have to give me a chance to move on. Otherwise I won't be okay with you and Sasuke-kun."

"It's never going to happen." I mutter patiently. I glance at Ino's curiosity-filled eyes. How should I explain this? "He… he basically said that he'll leave me alone… and that was almost a month ago. And he doesn't like me."

Ino rolls her eyes. "He likes you. He never liked anyone before. Trust me, I know. I've been stalking him for almost a decade. He likes you. And I'm sure you will like him back."

It's my turn to roll my eyes. Mentally. If Ino sees me rolling my eyes at her, she will never drop the subject. So, yeah. Sorry, Ino. I will never like Uchiha Sasuke. Never.

"HINATA-CHAN!" a familiar voice calls out loudly. I look up to see the always grinning Naruto, running toward us. "There you are! Meeting's finished! We can go home now!"

"It's Uzumaki Naruto." Ino remarks acidly as she glances at him. She turns back to me. "You look like you get along well with Sasuke-kun's best friend. You sure there's nothing going on between you two?"

"Naruto-kun's in the musical." I explain to Ino quickly just as Naruto reaches us. "Thank you for telling me, Naruto-kun."

Naruto looks from me to Ino and then to our hands. We're still holding hands. "Am I interrupting something?"

Ino lets go of my hand, stands up and faces Naruto. "Tell Shikamaru to stop acting like a kid. See you later, Hinata-chan."

"Y-yeah… see you."

Naruto scratches his head, watching Ino's retreating figure. "What does that mean…?"

"How did the meeting go?" I ask him. "Are you still the leading actor?"

"Yes, I am!" Naruto answers cheerfully, taking Ino's spot on the bench. "Some didn't vote for me but who cares about them? Peeping tom convinced most of her members to keep me and! She's giving me the couch!"

I smile at Naruto's pleased expression. He wanted that orange couch from the Drama Club's lounge. "I'm so happy you'll get the couch."

"Me too! Anyway, I can't wait to work with you. It'll be exciting. You don't have to worry, I'm a good student. I listen well and –"

What. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"They want me to take up vocal lessons and told me to pick from the Music Club and so I chose you."

"B-but… why me?!"

He looks at me as though I was the obvious choice as a vocal coach. "I'd rather it's you than that creep Kidomaru guy. Or your bossy president."

I stare at Naruto in horror. I know no shit about vocal lessons. I know no shit about teaching. I think I'm about to have a panic attack.

V^^V

Clutching the huge plastic bag, I gaze apprehensively at the establishment in front of me. It's Wednesday today so there's no one in there. I look down the road, at the black Mercedes parked a few feet away. I guess if something happens – the machine might blow up or something – my bodyguards can help me. I shift the heavy plastic bag more comfortably in my arms and enter the Coin Laundry. Good thing it's right outside our apartment. This will be the first time I will do my laundry without Tenten's assistance. Thank goodness the place is empty. I'll feel even more stupid if people see me struggling where to put which and what buttons to press. I wanted to buy a washing machine but there's no space for it inside that tiny apartment.

I dump the bag on the counter to start sorting it. I have to separate the white ones from the colored ones. Okay, I can do that. Actually, I did it before with Tenten around… so I don't quite know what to do with this black-and-white striped shirt. Shrugging, I put it with the colored ones. There, done sorting. I throw the whites into the washer. Here's the tricky part… do I add detergent before I start the machine or do I start the machine before I add detergent? I seem to remember Tenten setting the machine first. But before I can decide on what to do, the door opens and in comes the last person I – anyone, really – expect to enter the Laundromat on a Wednesday night.

"Exactly what are you doing in a place like this?" Uchiha Sasuke asks, looking around in puzzlement. He's wearing black tight pants, white shirt and black jacket. He looks out-of-place standing in the middle of an underwater world themed Coin Laundromat.

"To eat dinner." I answer dryly. He smirks that stupid smirk. Of course he knows where I live. "What are you doing here?"

"Always so happy to see me." He remarks in amusement, leaning against one of the machines. "I wonder if you're this feisty all the time. I'm under the impression that you're amicable… most of the time."

"I don't like being disturbed while I'm doing my laundry. What do you want?"

"I want you." His dark eyes gaze at me intently.

My heart skips a beat. Or two. Or three. I don't know. But I know what he means by that. "I-if you try anything –"

"I'm not stupid enough to try anything." He inclines his head to his right. My bodyguards are watching through the window. "I'm not going to give them an excuse to manhandle me. Bet they're itching to throw me out already. To give you and your laundry some privacy. Do I finally get to see your underwear?"

I hand wash my underwear. Not that he should know. I can feel my face burning because my bodyguards are watching us and that thing about underwear again. "You should leave." I mumble as I toss in a few scoops of detergent, close the lid and put money in. I'm not going to provide him the entertainment he wants. I start filling up another washer with the colored clothes. I can feel his gaze on me all the while. I start in surprise when his hand shoots out of nowhere to grab a skirt. My face flushes even more. That's my skirt and it's been in the hamper for over a month. It probably smells. I hope not. I try to grab it back.

"This is the skirt you wore the first time I saw you." Uchiha Sasuke says, holding it up away from me.

I stop trying to grab my pale turquoise skirt back. I remember when I bought that skirt and why I bought it. "I wore that in the –"

"Entrance Ceremony."

"That was the first time you saw me?" I ask in disbelief. I thought it was in that club, on the dance floor.

"You were standing under a cherry blossom tree while waiting for your friend." He hands me the skirt back. I take it with shaking hands. I don't know what to say. "Remember what I said back in the sky restaurant where we had dinner? I changed my mind."

It's as if he's talking about today's weather. "W-what?"

"I've been trying to walk away from you these past weeks but you always pull me in. I've been trying to look the other way but you're always there. I'm done pretending I'm done. I want you, Hyuuga Hinata."

"I don't want to be your girlfriend." I wish he'd stop saying that. Doesn't he read shoujo manga? The obvious answer is no but still… he doesn't have any idea what 'I want you' does to a girl's fragile heart. An unwilling girl at that.

Uchiha Sasuke chuckles in amusement. "I already offered you that position but you threw it in my face. But if you don't want to be my girlfriend then… be my woman."

I catch my breath at his crazy proposition. His audacity knows no bounds. Did he think that with his stupid smirk and the sexy way he said that would make me say yes? "If you're so bored out of your mind, go find someone else to entertain you. I'm not _fun_ enough."

"About that… I lied." He confides without as much as a flinch. "I'm interested in you not because I'm bored but because I like you. I'm attracted to you. Be my woman, Hyuuga Hinata."

Long before I met Sen, I would fantasize about the man of my dreams. We would fall in love at first sight. And then he would tell me he likes me as we watch the sunset together. Or as we stand under the cherry blossom tree. Or as we ride the Ferris wheel. Or as we frolic under the rain. Or as we walk along a field of flowers. Anyway, I wanted the man of my dreams to confess to me in a romantic place. Never in my wildest imaginations have I thought of someone confessing to me… in the middle of a Coin Laundromat.

* * *

><p><em>June 3, 2013 – Coin Laundromat is what they call a laundry shop in Japan. I researched it, lol… I fear I'm about to reach a roadblock again. Hopefully not. I'm already in a standstill with Life, Unexpected. Sigh. Anyway, I struggled with that scene with Naruto and I got teary-eyed writing Hinata and Ino's scene. That last scene with Sasuke's been in my head for weeks. I'm glad to finally show it to you! And while that's out of my head now, certain… possibilities start occupying my head. But it's way too soon to think about that and I'm rambling so!<em>

_I'm so happy you guys liked the previous chapter. Thank you so much! I looked stupid writing that chapter because I would throw my head back and laugh. Good thing I write in the middle of the night so no one really saw. Anyway, it was a fun idea for a montage. Sasuke's diary might reappear again. Maybe. We'll see…_


	21. Chapter 21

**DISCLAIMER: **HENRY CAVILL! He's so freaking hot, I swear. Oh, and I do not own Naruto.

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><p><strong>+ SASUKE +<strong>

**INDECENT PROPOSAL: BECAUSE I CAN**

_Patience – Guns N' Roses_

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><p>I watch Hyuuga Hinata remove freshly-laundered clothes from one machine to another. I suppose it's the dryer. It was quite a shock when I saw her enter this place. This Coin Laundromat. It's the first time I set foot in a place like this. Who would have thought that Hyuuga Hinata does her own laundry? I don't have a housekeeper but my mother always sends someone over to do the cleaning and laundry. Surely a Hyuuga like her doesn't have to go through what looks like a tedious chore?<p>

I can't keep my eyes off her. I probably look like a creepy stalker, so what. Wild horses can't drag me away from the most fascinating girl I ever met. I smirk as Hinata pretends to be interested on a mermaid painting on the wall. After realizing that she's been staring at the wall for two minutes, she leans back against one machine to stare at her shoes. She starts tapping the floor with her foot. Too bad she's not wearing those shorts from this afternoon. But she still looks good in a shirt and sweatpants. She tucks her hair behind an ear. I like it when her hair is down. She fidgets. And fidgets some more. Finally, she looks up to glare at me.

"I'm not contemplating your… offer, so please leave." Hinata speaks for the first time after I told her the truth. "You already know my answer."

"I do. I'd be surprised if you said yes immediately." I stress out the word immediately. I'm pretty sure it'll take me a long time to convince her. "But since I'm already here, I'd like to know why. I already know why I can't be your boyfriend so why don't you want to be my woman?"

She blushes again. "W-what do you mean by be your woman, anyway?"

I shrug. "No strings attached, no labels, no commitment… but I get to have you. All of you."

"I don't get it."

"Sex." I blurt out matter-of-factly.

Her whole face turns from scarlet to deathly pale to scarlet again. "A-a-and y-you e-e-expect me to s-s-s-say yes?"

"Eventually." Her stutter's such a turn on, I don't even know why.

"Y-you want me to jump straight into bed with you?" she asks, eyes wide in horror.

"Think of the wonderful things we'll do after we jump on the bed. I assure you, I am very capable."

She starts pacing and muttering to herself. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation… with _him_… this is crazy…"

"Look," I tell her, annoyed with the tone she used when she said _him_. "You don't want a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. I'm fine with that. I've never been in a relationship before anyway so I don't know how it's supposed to work."

"I am never saying yes." Hinata snaps quietly, turning around to face me.

I step a little bit closer but maintain some distance. I don't want her bodyguards to burst in here just because I invaded her personal space. I look her in the eyes. "Too bad. I am never taking no for an answer. Again."

We glare at each other for a long while. Well, she glares at me and I stare at her. How long has it been since I stood this close to her? The few times we were this close, I didn't have the chance to study her face. She's really beautiful. Everything is perfect – skin, eyebrows, eyelashes, eyes, nose, mouth… Stop staring at her mouth, Uchiha Sasuke. You don't want Little Sasuke to get excited, do you? I force my eyes away from her mouth to look at her hair. It looks so smooth. I want to touch it. I hear Hinata's gasp and my eyes goes straight to her mouth again. She turns her head away in embarrassment or… fear? Did she see the desire burning in my eyes? I'm scared too. I never wanted anyone like this.

"I understand if you're scared. That's why I'm willing to wait." Hinata gazes up at me again. "No matter how long it takes, I'll wait. You didn't like my advances before and I don't want you to hate me so… I'll wait."

"But… you said you're done with me and… what made you change your mind?"

"You had me at fuck you." I mumble, trying to keep a smile at bay 'cause really. That was a cute fuck you and I don't usually find it cute when someone tells me fuck you.

"I don't like you, Uchiha." She reminds me.

"Then I just have to make you like me." I mutter confidently. She stares at me for a while, her pearly eyes wide with anxiety. Then, shaking her head, she checks on her laundry. "I can start now if you like. My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I will be eighteen on the 23rd of July. My father is Uchiha Fugaku. You might have heard of him. My mother is Uchiha Mikoto. You met her already. I have an older brother, Uchiha Itachi. He's irrelevant. And that's my family." Hinata keeps her back at me but I can see how tense she is. If only you have earphones, huh? Smirking, I continue on. "We're from Kyoto but we spend a great deal of time in other places too. We have houses everywhere – here and abroad."

Hinata takes her clothes out of the dryer and stuffs them into this plastic bag. She's annoyed. Good. I should not be the only one getting annoyed by this situation. If only she knows how annoying it is to keep thinking about someone over and over again. She hauls up the plastic bag – now filled with clothes. It looks heavy.

"I'll take that." I mutter, resigned. I snatch the bag from her. It is heavy. She glares at me. "I'm not a gentleman. I don't do stuff like this. Fuck, I'm an impatient person. I don't wait. And yet here I am, doing things I don't normally do. And for what? For you! So just let me carry the damn bag!"

So much for patience, Uchiha Sasuke. Without waiting for her to recover her power of speech, I walk out of the Coin Laundromat. I ignore her still watching bodyguards and walk straight to Hinata's apartment building. I dump the bag on the steps.

"T-thank y-you…" Hinata mumbles grudgingly.

I turn around to face her, effectively blocking the doorway. "I'm short-tempered, bad tempered. I have a nasty temper. Am I going to change myself for you? I don't know. But I'm trying. And before I go, can you answer my question now? Why can't you be my woman?"

"Look at me." Hinata mumbles quietly, downcast.

"I am." I always will.

"I'm not the girl for you." She mutters, shaking her head.

"Who is the girl for me?"

"Ino-chan said she confessed to you." She says all of a sudden. Who the hell is this Ino-chan? She didn't answer my question but answers my unspoken question. "She confessed to you today."

Oh. "Ah… and?"

"She's my friend. You turned her down."

"She's lucky that I even consented to hearing her confession. I don't have the time to spare for such foolishness but I did my friend a favour. However, that's beside the point. You didn't answer my question. Again." I'm beginning to really hate that word.

"She's pretty. She's easy-going. She's a cheerful person. She's friendly. Everyone likes her." She finally looks up at me. Why is she so fucking sad? "I'm not like her. I'm not pretty. I don't get along with people. Most of the time I'm… I'm not a happy person. I have a lot of issues. Eventually you will realize I am not the girl you think you want to be with."

"You have a lot of insecurities." I say after a pause. She'll probably slap me for what I'm about to say but fuck that. She already punched me before. "But I don't care about those. I want your body. Not your intelligence and most especially not your emotions. I want _just_ your body."

Not an ideal conversation to have outside, I know. Good thing the bodyguards are out-of-earshot. She takes note of this as well as she inch a little closer to me. Shit. Not too close, Hinata. I might not be able to restrain myself. I've wanted to kiss her since I stepped inside that Coin Laundromat. Heck, I want to kiss her every minute of every day.

"You're really a pervert." Hinata hisses at me. She's blushing so bad. "No way I'll give my… m-m-my v-virginity to you."

She grabs her plastic bag and runs past me in a hurry to escape. I don't know how long I've been standing here gaping like an idiot. Of course she's a virgin. How can she not be a virgin? I'm having difficulty breathing. Why did she say something like that? Here, outside her apartment where her bodyguards were watching, of all places. I wanted to pin her against the fucking wall. Just the thought of doing things to her… bringing her to a world of pure pleasure… being her first lover… being her first and only lover… Little Sasuke likes that very much.

V^^V

How do I make Hyuuga Hinata say yes? For all my bravado earlier, I actually have no plans. None. I don't know how I'm supposed to make her say yes. I don't know how I'm going to convince her to have a sexual relationship with me. Blackmail? But what do I blackmail her with? It's not like I can just hostage someone (her friend, probably) and say 'you will see your precious friend again… if you give me your virginity'. No, no. Hyuuga Hinata must be willing. I must make her want me. But how do I make her want me? Seduction?

Operation seduce Hyuuga Hinata. As appealing as it sounds, the memory of the two kisses we had still upsets me. The first time, she froze up. The second time, she looked like she was going to throw up. I'm a fucking good kisser. But no, I can't seduce her. I told her I'll wait and so I will wait. Wait until she's comfortable around me and then…

I lean my head back against the armchair, watching the nightlights of Tokyo. My entire apartment is bathed in darkness while Aerosmith's Crazy is blasting in the background. It's decided. I will wait until Hyuuga Hinata's comfortable with me and then I will seduce her. Let's see if she will be able to refuse me again. It's perfect. Everything is perfect tonight.

"BASTARD! LET ME IN!" Naruto screams outside, pounding the door.

I spoke too soon. Really. That idiot's voice is so loud it drowned out Steven Tyler's screaming. Choosing the right controller from the pile of remote controls on the end table next to the armchair, I punch in the password. A few moments later, Naruto bursts in.

"SASUKE! WHAT –? WHY IS IT SO DARK HERE? SASUKE?!" Naruto calls out in a panic. A loud crash and, "FUCK! THAT FUCKING HURTS!"

Grabbing another remote control, I turn on the lights. Naruto bumped into a table and fell down his ass. I lower the volume of the entertainment center. "What is it?"

"You changed your password." Naruto pouts, rubbing his behind.

"So?"

"So I can't get in, bastard!"

"You know how to knock."

Naruto gets to his feet, still rubbing. "Ah, that fucking hurts. Why the fuck is that table here?"

"It's an antique." I answer, turning back to my window-gazing. "Return it to where it stood before you upended the poor thing."

"Poor thing, my ass." Naruto grumbles. I hear him returning the table nonetheless. "Yeah, my ass is the poor thing. This stupid table is useless anyway. It doesn't even have anything on it – no vase, not even one of your stupid collectibles."

"What are you doing here, idiot?" I ask, sighing. Naruto should be thankful I'm in a good mood. I would have let him rot outside.

"Is this you?" he asks, shoving his cellphone to my face. "I know it's you. No one else has a duck-butt hairstyle."

I look at the picture. It's a silhouette of someone… well fuck. That is me. Standing outside Hyuuga Hinata's apartment. What the fuck. Who took this? I snatch Naruto's cellphone. It's an article from the university forum.

_Exclusive! Bad Boy outside Weird Girl's apartment. Early this evening, a contributor snapped a picture of Bad Boy outside an apartment this site cannot disclose for fear of Weird Girl's family filing a lawsuit. As there is no further evidence of the nature of their relationship yet, it is highly recommended that the members of this forum should refrain from posting Bad Boy and Weird Girl's real names. This is not the first time the two have been associated with each other, however. Last month, our sources can confirm that the two had an encounter in a bar which then led to the widely speculated bruise on Bad Boy's face. It wasn't until a few days later that the whole school found out who punched Bad Boy – through a performance (in the basketball gym, no less!) that left everyone reeling in shock. It created quite a stir, especially among Bad Boy's loyal fangirls. Threatened, those fangirls bullied Weird Girl in the hopes of scaring her away from their precious. But Bad Boy stepped in to save the day and no further interactions from the two were reported since then. Until tonight._

_Why is Bad Boy outside Weird Girl's apartment? Did he just come out from there or did he happen to pass by? Is there a secret relationship going on?_

_And for the benefit of those who don't have a clue of their real identity (which planet are you from?): Bad Boy and Weird Girl are freshmen, Bad Boy is very handsome and very popular, Weird Girl is quiet and shy, they are from very prominent and rich clans. In conclusion, if the rumors are true, Bad Boy and Weird Girl are going to be the University of Tokyo's – in all of Japan, really – Golden Couple._

_Reminder: We aim to keep this forum clean. No bashing allowed in the comments._

Naruto's sprawled on the couch, watching TV and eating my food. I throw his cellphone at him after reading that stupid article. "Careful!" he catches the iphone before it falls to the floor. "You crazy bastard. I know you're angry but sheesh… you don't have to let it out on my cellphone."

I'm more pissed off at the alias they gave Hinata than the paparazzi. It's not like I can have them retract it. They were smart enough not to mention my name. Maybe I should talk to Obito about that. He knows a lot about these legal shits.

"What are you going to do about it?" Naruto asks, wiping his iphone tenderly.

"Nothing." Let them speculate all they want. Thanks to that, I will be more careful from now on.

"So who's the lady? You've never visited any of your women's houses before." I say nothing and just look at him. Naruto stares back with narrowed eyes, trying to read my expression. He finally gets it. "I see… Good luck with that. Hey, can I ask you something? I'm not sure about this but, you've never been in a relationship so… are you the jealous type?"

"No." I answer, glancing back at the magnificent view of Tokyo. I find myself thinking of the events today – when I saw Hinata biking and wearing short shorts, and the Coin Laundromat. I can remember clearly her every expression. I really like her sarcastic remarks. Ah… I wonder how long I have to wait until I can have her in my bed. But I'm looking forward to the journey to my bed. It should be interesting. The anticipation is making me excited and this prickling on my neck is getting really annoying.

"What?" I bark at the idiot. He's been staring at me.

Naruto's foxy grin widens. "I know something you don't."

"Obviously. Otherwise you wouldn't look so fucking smug. What is it?"

"Not telling. You'll ruin it if I tell you."

"Fine." I snap at him. "As long as it has nothing to do with Hinata." Gotcha. Naruto's expression changed for a split second before he tries to hide it. Too late. Whatever it is that Naruto knows definitely has something to do with Hinata. I glare at him threateningly. "Don't try anything stupid while I'm away."

I'm not the jealous type. I just don't like sharing.

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><p><em>June 15, 2013 – I suck at writing articles. I hope it made sense because I'm not sure, lol! I've read and reread this chapter and I'm satisfied with it. Oh, and Naruto's talking about the vocal lessons with Hinata. Sasuke will definitely ruin that *winkwink*.<em>

_Thanks for the reviews! They're awesome as always. I hope I can finish the next chapter quickly because I'm excited about the chapter after that, kukukuku~ ^^_

_Henry Cavill is so distracting._


	22. Chapter 22

**DISCLAIMER: **Happy birthday, Neji! If Naruto is mine, you'll still be... /cries in a corner

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><p><strong>+ ENSEMBLE +<strong>

_Don't You Worry Child – Swedish House Mafia_

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><p>I'm trying to be optimistic but I can't.<p>

Telling myself that everything's gonna be alright is useless. Everything is not alright. Nothing will ever be alright. And it's _his_ entire fault. Groaning, I rub my eyes. I barely had any sleep this past couple of nights. When I close my eyes I see him, those dark eyes and that stupid smirk. I keep hearing his voice and the words he said.

"_I'm interested in you not because I'm bored but because I like you. I'm attracted to you. Be my woman, Hyuuga Hinata."_

"_I want you."_

Words. They're just empty words. _Oh, but his eyes. Those wonderful eyes told the truth._ Shut up, subconscious. Uchiha Sasuke is a liar. And he just wants my body. I feel my face heating up. My eyes automatically look down. My body… I don't get why he likes my body. But I should not think about that while I'm in the middle of a restaurant. Opening my bag, I take out the mp3 player Gaara gave me and a notebook. Listening to Gaara's songs help me calm down. I wonder when he will release his album. We never had an opportunity to chat so I wasn't able to ask him. I can feel myself relaxing as I listen to his voice. Strange, his music is anything but relaxing.

Sighing, I open my notebook. I researched about vocal coaching and the things I'm expected to teach Naruto. I still think this is a ridiculous idea. No one in their right mind should hire me as their vocal coach. I texted Tayuya-senpai last night to say as much and suggested that they hire a professional vocal coach. She said that they don't have enough budget for that. I was half-tempted to say I'll pay for it but that would make me look like a rich brat who throws money away just because I was too scared to venture into new territory. _Just as scared as you are of the feelings Uchiha Sasuke is making you feel,_ my subconscious adds. Seriously, shut up. It came out of nowhere. I probably should pay my shrink a visit soon.

The waiter arrives with my order. I thank him and when he moves away, I see Uchiha Sasuke sitting at the far end of the restaurant. He's watching me. For how long? There's an empty plate and a half-full glass of juice on his table. So he got here first? If only I'm not starving, I would have bolted out of here by now. But I've been craving this restaurant's spaghetti so… who cares if Uchiha Sasuke's being a creepy stalker again. Nothing will come between me, spaghetti and garlic bread. I feel my phone vibrating as I chew. It was a text message.

'_See what I'm talking about? You are always there.'_

I glance at him with my mouth full. It's very unladylike and the Aunts would have a fit if they saw me like this. That stupid smirk is there on his face again. _'Then don't stare!'_ I text back.

'_How can I not stare when you look so adorable?'_

I ignore that and focused my attention on eating. Flattery will get you nowhere, Uchiha. I should text him that. My phone keeps vibrating but I ignore it. I try to concentrate on Gaara's song but I can feel his gaze on me. I hate it. It's making me so self-conscious. By the time I finished eating, I was a ball of nerves. I didn't even enjoy the spaghetti and garlic bread. Stupid Uchiha. Glaring at him, I check the messages he sent.

'_What music are you listening to?'_

'_You're really cute when you're pretending to be ignoring me.'_

'_Looks like you had trouble sleeping last night. Is it because of me? I'm flattered.'_

'_Did you know that there are bread crumbs on the side of your mouth?'_

I wipe at the spot furiously. _'Stop texting me.'_

He starts smirking that smirk slowly. _'Would you rather I go over there? I can help you remove the crumbs. You missed some.'_

I rummage through my bag for a mirror to check. There was nothing on my face at all.

'_Joking.'_ Uchiha texts.

He's smiling fully now and I don't like how it's doing strange things to my heart. I never saw him smile a real smile. He looks so… handsome. I look away. He's not handsome. He's not good-looking. He's not gorgeous. Okay, maybe a little handsome. And a little good-looking. A bit gorgeous. I can't see him as handsome, good-looking and gorgeous! Think of his flaws – he's conceited, short-tempered, rude, pervert, immature… My phone vibrates again.

'_What are you thinking about?'_

I didn't bother to reply. Instead, I place some cash on the table and hastily gather my stuff. The sooner I leave the better. I was quite sure he will follow me around but he didn't. The rest of the day I would look around, expecting him to turn up out-of-nowhere. I didn't see him at all. I can't help but think that he's playing games with me. That or I'm slowly becoming paranoid. The run-in this morning in the restaurant was a coincidence. He's not really stalking me. At least I hope not.

The door to the practice room bursts open just as I take a seat behind the piano. "HI!" Naruto greets happily. I smile back. "Am I late?"

"No, I just got here myself."

Naruto closes the door. I sigh with relief. He's not with him. "Nice room."

I don't know much about nice. This room is as tiny as my apartment. The only difference is that there's a lot of space in this room. Aside from the piano, there's nothing else in here. But I suppose it is nice. The walls and ceiling are dark green. Naruto strides over to the window.

"U-uhm… Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah?" He asks, turning to face me. "What is it, sensei?"

I blush. Sensei? Oh gosh… "U-uhm… I'd l-like to ask a favour…"

"Sure! Anything!"

"Please don't tell Uchiha about this."

Naruto laughs. "Don't worry! I'm not telling him anything. I like watching that bastard squirm."

"Thank you."

"No problem! So what are we doing today, sensei?" he joins me at the piano.

"You don't have to call me sensei." I mumble in embarrassment.

Naruto pouts. Pouts. "Eh? Why not? I like calling you sensei."

As if the pout is not enough, he looks at me with those huge blue eyes of his. So cute. I grimace. "I… alright." He grins sheepishly. "Anyway, they gave me the list of songs you'll sing and I have to help you with them. Are you familiar with western songs?" I don't even know why western songs are included. I'm not sure if I can help Naruto sing Backstreet Boys and NSYNC songs. They don't suit his voice at all. I show Naruto the list.

"Yeah." Naruto nods as he read the list. "The bastard likes listening to them."

I know. He told me thru text. He sent 7 text messages, actually.

_1. 'I have a weird taste in music. I listen to all genres, basically. I listen to western songs a lot. I don't have any favourite bands or singers in particular.'_

_2. 'There are things about me I'd rather tell you in person.'_

_3. 'Nonetheless, I am very partial to tomatoes… thought you should know.'_

_4. 'My hobbies are listening to music, playing basketball, taking a stroll, watching movies, etc. The list goes on.'_

_5. 'This is actually quite fun.'_

_6. 'That is, if you're reading my texts. Hence my preference of talking face-to-face. At least I'll know whether you're listening or not.'_

_7. 'I miss you.'_

I didn't reply to any of his messages. I don't want to know anything about him. I'm content knowing how enormous his ego is. I'd like to keep thinking that Uchiha Sasuke's just an average perverted asshole. I don't want my perspective of him to change. He said he's going to make me like him. If this continues I might… but I can't let myself be swayed by his words. Sen told me a lot of things a long time ago. None of them were true. I learnt that to my sorrow.

**V^^V**

Contrary to what everyone thinks, I'm not a nosy person. I don't even know why people would think I'm nosy. Just because I'm loud and I talk a lot? Bullshit. I may not be the most observant but I do know when not to pry. Like with Hinata. I know there's something wrong. And I know that Sasuke's the reason why she looks so stressed. Did I ask her what's wrong? No. I want to. But I didn't. That's the point. I'm not nosy. Nevertheless, I am _dying_ to know what's happening. I'm happy for Sasuke. I really am. I'm so glad he decided to pursue (hunt down) Hinata again. But the bastard's making me nervous. He knows absolutely no shit about girls. And then Hinata seems a little off. Is Sasuke blackmailing her or something?

"Thank you for waiting, Naruto-kun." Hinata says, locking the practice room where we had another vocal lesson. Well, I don't really know if it was a vocal lesson. So far she's been helping me with pronunciation. I know a little bit of English. My mom insisted that I learn it. Anyway, I feel like she doesn't have any idea what to do. Regardless of that, she's a really good teacher – very patient, very understanding, she gets my sense of humor… she's very cute too.

"No big deal." I answer. She looks around warily. As if she's expecting a certain someone to show up. She's been very jumpy. "Sasuke's not here."

She drops her bag. She always drops her bag, seriously. "E-eh?"

I pick up her bag and hand it to her with a smile. "He's out of town. The whole basketball team went away on a trip this weekend. He'll be back on Monday. Didn't he tell you?"

"Why would he tell me something like that?" she sounds a little sad. But I can't be sure. She's avoiding my eyes. She starts walking and I fall in beside her. "Are you okay not being with your team?"

"Not really." I'm fucking pissed off about that. They're really punishing me. First out-of-town trip and they didn't bring me along. Well fuck them. "But I'm with you so I feel better. It's all boys there. Bet it's boring not having any girls around."

"I'm glad you feel better."

"And don't worry about Sasuke. He stopped clubbing last week and I didn't see him with another woman since then."

"So he's been seeing other women?"

Shit. Shit. Shit. Why did I open my big mouth? Sasuke's going to kill me. "Oops… I mean… he… well… he… uhm…"

"Naruto-kun," she stops walking and looks up at me. I gulp. There's something scary about her eyes. They're normally kind and soft and… is she glaring at me? "Please tell me."

"He… well, he's not seeing anyone else if that's what you're worried about."

"I'm not worried." Hinata shrugs and continues walking. "Just…"

"Just?" I prompt. Come on. Tell me.

"Just that… never mind."

AHSKAJDHSJDHKSDSGKJDSJDHSD! I WANT TO KNOW! Ugh, I hate it when she does that. She's cute and all but really, she should stop with the avoiding. I understand she doesn't want to tell me anything because we're not really that close yet anyway but still… I wish she realize soon that she can trust me. A noise somewhere the hallway distracts me.

"What's that?" I run towards the noise. It's from another practice room. I peer through the glass.

"Oh, it's Gaara." Hinata mutters, joining me outside the door. Yeah, it's her friend and a few member of the Music Club. "They must be practicing for the festival next week."

"They're performing?" I ask curiously as I watch the people inside prepare their instruments.

"Yes. Tayuya-senpai thought that it'll be a good opportunity to promote Gaara's upcoming album."

"Whoa! An album? Really? Like a real singer?"

"What are you two doing here?" someone asks behind us. It's the Music Club president. She's carrying 4 bags of food. "Done with the vocal lessons?"

"Y-yes, senpai." Hinata answers.

"Well, don't stand around here. Come inside if you want. We're pulling an all-nighter. Gaara'll be busy next week." She opens the door and Hinata looks at me questioningly and I nod.

This practice room is bigger than the one Hinata and I usually use. Of course there are no chairs in here so we opted to sit on the floor. No one takes notice of our presence as everyone's busy with whatever they're doing. That Gaara guy glances in our direction, though. Hinata raises a hand in greeting but Gaara looks away. He's weird. He stands there awkwardly for a while before remembering that he's setting up his mic stand. That guy… he's seriously going to be a professional singer? He doesn't seem the type.

"He's really going to be a singer?" I ask Hinata quietly.

"Yes." Hinata whispers back. "I think he'll release his album soon. His songs are really awesome. He gave me his mp3 player and I've been listening to them."

I watch Gaara and his band curiously. This is my first time witnessing a band before their debut. "What's his band called?"

"Oh… I don't know. I never asked him."

"But those guys are not really his band, right?"

"No, they're not."

Hinata and I jump a bit when they start playing. Fucking shit. I think my eardrums just got obliterated. It feels like the whole practice room is vibrating from the noise. Even so, I can't help but be captivated. I'm not into rock. Sasuke's a fan, though, and I grew up listening to them as well. I find myself bobbing my head along with the melody. Wow. For a quiet guy, Gaara sure knows how to belt out a scream. And his singing voice… it's quite good. They stop in the middle of the song. Something about the drums not catching up.

"That's my first time hearing that song live." Hinata mumbles happily beside me. "It's one of my favourites."

She likes listening to songs about blood and all things gory? I'm not judging her! I'm just surprised, that's all. I thought she'd be the type to listen to Arashi or Kattun. "It's really good."

She glances at her watch. "I have to go now."

I look at her. I thought she's having fun watching her friend play live. She gets to her feet and with a sigh, I get to my feet too. "I'll walk you home."

"Y-you don't have to." Hinata blushes. "If you want to stay and watch…"

"Nah, it's okay." I say casually. "I can't let you walk home alone on a Saturday night."

"It's only 8:45."

"I'm walking you home." I repeat firmly.

She smiles in amusement. "You don't have to. I'll be fine."

"Sasuke will skin me alive if I let you walk home alone at this time of night."

Her expression turned sour when I mentioned Sasuke but she doesn't say anything about it. "I have bodyguards."

"Aw, come on. At least let me this once. It's my fault you stayed late."

"You guys are being noisy back there." Music Club president calls out in annoyance.

"S-sorry… W-we're leaving, senpai."

"Sure, sure!" she waves us away. "See you on Monday."

Hinata bows at her and waves at Gaara in farewell. It took him about 4 seconds to nod his head in return. He's really weird. "Your friend is a little weird." I tell Hinata once we're outside the corridor.

"Gaara?"

"Yeah."

She giggles. "No, he's not. A little, maybe. But he's a cool guy."

I wonder what Sasuke will think of that. He won't be happy about it, that's for sure. Even though he said he's not the jealous type. "Ne, Hinata-chan, wanna go eat dinner somewhere? I know this place!"

On the way there, we talk about a lot of stuff. Actually, I'm the one who talk the most. I tell her about my family and how my father showed up after 17 years saying he had amnesia. Turns out he was telling the truth. Namikaze Minato, my biological father, is a professional race car driver. He was in an accident 17 years ago and was diagnosed with amnesia. Before the accident, he and my mom had an argument. They never had the chance to patch things up before he went to compete in Monaco. He had his accident there. It was pretty bad. His race car was destroyed. I googled about it.

How am I getting along with my father now? When he asked me what I want as a 17-years worth of birthday gift… Well, I'm a simple guy. I asked for a car. And he did give me a car! Not just any car, though. An Audi! Like, what the hell. A brand fucking new Audi! I think I was only joking when I said I wanted a car. At least that's what I told my mom when she was freaking out about it. I had to endure an hour of her going on and on and on about spending money on useless shit. I can still remember some of it: "What the hell?! A car?! Are you serious? YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A LICENSE! YOU CAN'T DRIVE WELL! THE BIKES I BOUGHT YOU DON'T LAST MORE THAN A MONTH BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS END UP CRASHING INTO SOMETHING! AND NOW YOU ASKED FOR A CAR?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"

But it was an amazing moment.

My father sat beside me the whole time. He was getting the lecture too. For throwing ridiculous amount of money away for a car and other stuff: "HE CAN'T EVEN DRIVE PROPERLY AND YOU'RE GIVING HIM A CAR? SURELY YOU REMEMBER WHY YOU HAD AMNESIA?! AND NOW YOU'RE GIVING YOUR SON A CAR?" So me and my old man sat there, looking like a pair of misbehaving kids. And that was the first time I ever felt good about the whole thing. It beats the Audi by a few points.

"Is it really okay?" I ask Hinata again. We're at a ramen stand and I took a photo of us. I want to post this in my Facebook but of course, I have to get her permission first. Don't want Sasuke to go psycho on me.

"Yes." Hinata nods, sipping her milk tea. "Oh, and add me up on Facebook."

"Sure!" I grin.

At 10:30, we leave the ramen stand with our stomachs full, our bonds strong and us being officially friends on Facebook. We read Kiba's whiny comments on the photo I posted as we walk towards the Metro. He's such a loser. A few minutes later, Chouji posts a comment.

'_if Sasuke see this u are so dead XD'_

"Sasuke doesn't have Facebook." I assure Hinata who looks worried. "That Chouji sounds too fucking cheerful about my death, though."

I type in a reply. But before I can hit the enter button, a woman screams from an alleyway to our left and I almost drop my phone. I instinctively pull Hinata behind me. What was that? I squint at the alleyway. It's dark and… holy shit is that…?

"S-Sakura-chan?" Hinata gasps in horror.

It is Pinkie. Looks like someone's trying to rob her. "HELP!"

"Shut up, you bitch!" her assailant snarls. "Give me your fucking money!"

Hinata makes a move toward them but I stop her. I charge at the asshole. I tackle him to the ground. But before I can beat him to a bloody pulp, the police arrive. Wait, it's not the police. It's one of Hinata's bodyguards. The bodyguard restrains the asshole effortlessly. Scratching my head, I turn to where Pinkie's huddled against the wall.

"Sakura-chan!" Hinata calls out worriedly. Her other bodyguard lets her go and she runs to Pinkie. Seems that he kept her away from the commotion. "Are you okay?"

With a sob, Pinkie throws herself into Hinata's arms. I look away to give them a moment. That's when I notice the stinging on my left hand. There's a cut and it's bleeding. I suddenly remember the last time I got injured from helping out someone… it was when I met my ex-girlfriend*. This situation is so fucking familiar it pisses me off.

**V^^V**

Karma's a bitch.

And so is the woman my father ran away with. 20 years of marriage and he threw it away for a 20-year-old. It's been a week since he left the house… since he left us. My mother is distraught. If she's not crying, she's staring into space. It's pathetic. I understand that she's heartbroken and all but I wouldn't waste my tears over someone like my father. He doesn't deserve it. I don't know why it happened and I have no intention of understanding the reason why he did what he did. I'm not going to tell him 'it's ok, Dad, I understand.' That's just bullshit.

I have far more important things to think about other than the whys. Uh, let's see… there's my tuition and all the expenses in the house. Who will pay for my tuition now? What about the bills? What about the food? I don't think I can count on my catatonic mother at the moment. So I got a part-time job as a model. Today I received my first pay check and what happens? Some bastard wanted to steal it.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaims in surprise. "Your hand is bleeding!"

"This? It's fine, don't worry!" Uzumaki Naruto answers in his usual annoyingly loud voice. "How is she?"

I feel Hinata shrug. I don't know what I'm doing, clinging to Hinata like this. I'm embarrassing. But I don't want to let go. I was so scared. And I can't. Stop. Crying. What the hell is wrong with me? Hinata keeps murmuring soothing words while stroking my head. I cry even more. Maybe it's because I've been holding back these past few days. And now the tears won't stop flowing. I'm crying because of dad, mom… because of him.

Uchiha Sasuke.

The last few moments I struggled against the mugger, I wanted him to show up. I wanted him to save me. I never wanted him that bad in my whole life. But of course. I know he will never be there. I've known it all along. It took a rude awakening for me to realize that. The rude awakening came too late, though. I already made horrible decisions. And this person right here, whose expensive blouse I'm currently drenching with tears, was the one who got hurt by those horrible decisions.

This is my karma.

"I have a brand new car. It's an Audi. I don't know what model but it looks friggin' cool. My dad's going to teach me how to drive which is stupid because I know how to drive. My dad's a race car driver, by the way. He's really famous too." Uzumaki Naruto rambles. I wonder who he's talking to. "Do all Hyuuga bodyguards drive cars like this?"

A gruff voice answers back. "Just the ones that guard the head family."

I open my eyes fuzzily. I can see Uzumaki Naruto on the passenger seat. I'm lying down and someone's stroking my head. Did I fall asleep? I raise myself up. Yeah, I've been sleeping. On Hinata's lap.

"Sakura-chan?" she enquires softly.

"Sorry." I mumble, sniffing.

"You okay?" Uzumaki asks. Hinata hands me her handkerchief wordlessly. "Want to go to the hospital?"

I catch sight of his bandaged hand. "You should go to the hospital."

"Eh?" he looks lost for a while. Then he remembers his injury. "Oh, this is nothing! It's just a scratch!"

"Where are we going?" I ask Hinata.

"I thought it's best to take you home. You live near Koenji, right?"

Crap. I don't want to go home. I can't let my mother see me like this. "Uhm… Hinata?"

"Yes?"

I lower my head so that she can't see my expression. "I don't want to go home."

She doesn't say anything but I know she understands. "O-okay… where should we… Ah! Uhm… Sir?"

"… Hinata-sama." her bodyguard responds quietly.

"P-please take us to my apartment."

"As you wish, Hinata-sama."

"Amazing!" Uzumaki Naruto gushes in fascination. He's embarrassing. "So he does whatever you tell him, Hinata-chan?"

"Uh… n-no…"

If only I'm in a better mood. I would've shut Uzumaki Naruto's mouth for him. I know he's taking vocal lessons with Hinata but why are they together at this time? Sasuke never had a girlfriend so I don't know if he's the jealous type. But I'm sure that Sasuke will not like this. The thought makes me sad.

Later, Hinata and I are sitting side by side on her bed. I just told her about my family. I wanted to tell her about it in the car but Uzumaki Naruto was there. He already overheard us talking before and I don't want a repeat of that.

"There are some things…" Hinata murmurs quietly, "that no matter what anyone says, you don't feel any better. But if you can't feel better, you can make yourself forget."

"Is it useful?" I ask her with a smile. I don't think she can see it since we didn't turn on the lights.

"It's pretty useful. I tried it lots of times before. You should try it too."

"Yeah… I'll try it." I know she's talking about her family. "Hinata, I'm sorry about everything."

"It's okay."

I know she's lying. But that's Hinata for you. She would always put other people first. "And thank you for everything."

"I'm always here."

That makes me feel sadder. Once, I tried to move on. I forced myself to stop thinking about Uchiha Sasuke. I see now what went wrong and why it only lasted for 28 days. I didn't really move on. How can I when I wasn't sure where to go, which road to take? The path wasn't clear at the time. But now, even though I still can't see the path clearly, I must move on. It's not me. It will never be me.

"How do I move on?" I ask loudly.

I'm not sure if Hinata's going to reply. She has no idea what I'm talking about. But, as always, she gives another awesome advice. "One step at a time. One foot in front of the other."

I chuckle. She's really good at stating the obvious. One foot in front of the other. Sounds easy. But nothing is ever easy. If I step one foot in front, I hope that I won't take 2 steps back.

**V^^V**

I trudge toward my apartment sluggishly. Gosh, I'm so tired. I want to collapse on my bed and sleep for a week. I'm aching all over. It's a good kind of ache, though. I love my part-time job as a stuntwoman. It's extreme but it pays well. Plus I get to see celebrities… I glance at the dark Mercedes parked outside as per usual. It's Sunday. Don't they have a day off? Do they ever sleep? Moreover, do they even have families and their own homes? Ugh. Don't know, don't care.

I'm surprised to see Hinata slumped over the dining table when I enter the apartment. She usually reserves her brooding in the privacy of her bedroom. "I'm home."

"Welcome home." Hinata mumbles dejectedly.

I take time removing my shoes at the entrance. "Everything ok?"

"No."

Sometimes I want to strangle her. It's not good being depressed all the time. Sighing, I stride over to the kitchen. "I'll make us tea. We will drink and you will tell me your problem. We will not go to sleep until you tell me. If I fall asleep in class tomorrow – today, technically – it's going to be your fault."

She sits up straight and stares mournfully at the table. Whatever's bugging her must be bad. She wasn't like this when Uchiha Sasuke's fangirls bullied her. Family matters? No, I doubt it. She locks herself up in her bedroom with nothing but depressing music for company. Is she failing subjects then? She's worried about that but she gives off the impression that she doesn't care about grades.

Once the tea's ready and set on the table, I take a seat in front of her to wait. I didn't have to wait long. Thank goodness.

"There's… it's… t-there's a guy." Hinata explains, blushing furiously.

Oh. This is news. I place my cup down before I spill hot tea all over me. To say that I am shocked would be an understatement. Of all the things Hyuuga Hinata could be agonizing over, a _guy_ would be out of the question. Hinata is not the type of person to dwell on such things. Sure, she's 17 and it's perfectly normal for girls her age to think about boys and stuff.

But this is Hyuuga Hinata and she is not normal. She gave up on boys a long time ago. Well, ever since she broke up with her first boyfriend. His name was Sen. I remember it because it rhymes with my name. According to Neji, they were classmates and this Sen guy was really popular – top student, tall, handsome, charming. He could have any girl he wanted but it was Hinata that caught his attention. I can only imagine what it must've felt like, having the attention of someone like that on you. Neji said that Hinata and Sen started dating in the early summer vacation. Neji didn't approve, of course. Hinata was only 13, after all. But Neji admitted to me that the thing he was most worried about was the fact that Sen was poor and ambitious. _There's nothing wrong with being poor and to aspire for a better life,_ he said, _but if you're poor and you want an easy way out of that life…_ I knew what he meant. He was right. He kept his suspicion to himself, though. He said he couldn't bring himself to tell Hinata because she looked so happy.

Hinata found out eventually. It was Sen's birthday and Hinata decided to surprise him. And yeah, she was the one who was surprised. Sen's group of friends were hanging out at his house and Hinata overheard them talking about her. Don't ask me how. Neji didn't ask her how she overheard them. Anyway, they were all laughing at how Sen didn't have any trouble fooling her. There was a bet, apparently. But Sen didn't accept the money. He said the bigger prize was if he got Hinata pregnant.

Pretty heavy stuff, that. Poor Hinata. She fled after hearing those bullshits. Oh but fate wasn't done with her that day. The taxi she was in met an accident. Glass shards were embedded on her back. It required 150 stitches. All in all, she got 170 stitches. She was in a coma for a few days, I think. The doctors did all necessary tests and examinations but didn't see anything else wrong with her just that… it seemed that she didn't want to wake up. Ah well. They didn't have a test for a broken heart. She woke up eventually and told Neji what happened. It was the last time she talked about it with anyone. Except maybe with her therapist. I'm pretty sure they talked about him a lot.

As for Sen… Hinata doesn't know this but her father paid Sen a large amount of money to disappear. I don't think Hinata cares that much about him anymore. Or any other _guy_. So what's with this _guy_?

"And?" I finally mutter. I know I was quiet (shocked) for a long time but I was waiting for her to continue.

Her eyes grow huge and she starts fidgeting. It's not helping to diffuse the suspense one bit. "It's… u-uh… y-you remember Uchiha Sasuke…?"

I can feel my jaw literally dropping to the floor. I am fucking speechless. Hinata takes pity on me and answers my silent plea (really, I can't right now) for information. She tells me everything. And by everything I mean everything. By the time Hinata was done talking the tea's gone cold and me suffering from information overload. I need a few moments to process this. I thought whatever happened between them begun and ended in that club. Where was I and what have I been doing these past weeks? Wow, Uchiha Sasuke's got it bad. I glance at Hinata. She's amazing. How can she resist such a guy? Just thinking about their encounter in the Coin Laundromat (of all places!)…

"That was kinda hot." I admit shamelessly.

"Tenten-chan!"

"What? If it was me, I would've let him do the nasty with me on top of the washing machine."

Hinata hides her flaming face in her hands.

"But to propose a relationship like that to a virgin like you… I kind of wish I lost my virginity to him…"

"Tenten-chan… you're not –"

"I'm not a virgin anymore. Your cousin –"

She holds up a hand. "Ugh, stop. I don't need to hear that."

"I don't want to think about it, either. So… friends with benefits, huh?"

"We're not friends."

"You don't find him attractive at all?"

"H-he's… he's very attractive…"

"Then what's the problem?"

"I can't just believe the things he said…"

"Uchiha Sasuke is not Sen." I point out gently. "I don't think he has any ulterior motive. At least he was being honest when he said he just wanted to have sex with you. Which I think is really hot. Besides, you were the one who doesn't want a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. The poor guy's smitten so I think he's willing to go to any lengths to have you."

"I'm not… I can't… I'm a virgin! Do you really expect me to involve myself in… in… in that kind of relationship?"

"A strictly sex-only relationship." I mutter, providing the words she has trouble saying. Hinata hides her face again in mortification. Good luck to Uchiha Sasuke in convincing a proper, conservative lady like her. "He seems persistent. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." Hinata replies gloomily. "I have no idea… He's back. He texted me."

She shows me her cellphone. _'Just got back in Tokyo. How was your weekend? Mine sucked.'_

"Sweet." I remark.

"It's not sweet!" Hinata snaps angrily. "I'm always nervous and I'm going paranoid. Is he stalking me? Am I being followed? Is he going to show up again? What is he going to do this time? It's driving me nuts!"

Her forehead hits the dining table with a thud. I can't say I can relate. No one's ever been after me sexually. Except maybe some perverted old men in the subway. But they're old men. We're talking about the Uchiha fucking Sasuke here. I heard he's a sex god.

"You know what I think?"

"What?" comes Hinata's muffled reply.

"You refusing him all the time turns him on." I tell her. She raises her head to look at me. "He sees you as a challenge. He never met anyone like you. Women will instantly throw themselves at his feet if he so much as step into a room. You're the first one to say no. It was a huge blow to his ego and… most likely the biggest turn-on he ever had."

Hinata absorbs all these with disbelief. "That's… really messed up… Is there anything I can do to… make him lose interest in me?"

"Hmm… what could be the biggest turn-off for Uchiha Sasuke?" I murmur thoughtfully. "Maybe you should act like a fangirl."

"Eh? You mean call him Sasuke-kun with a squeal?"

"Show me." she did. It's revolting. I shake my head disapprovingly. "No, that won't do. He'll know something's up. How about you… flirt with him?"

Hinata jumps to her feet. "E-EH?!"

* * *

><p><em>July 03, 2013 - * from chapter 3… I hope this chapter is not confusing. Instead of posting short filler chapters I came up with this. Next chapter's supposed to be Gaara but I changed my mind. It's too soon, I think.<em>

_Head Over Feet is a song by Alanis Morissette and the chorus of that song is the summary I used for this story. I'm thinking of changing the summary but I kinda like it the way it is so. I'm on Tumblr, by the way. I sometimes post stuff about Head Over Feet there (among other things, lol)._

_Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! They're awesome as always ^^_


	23. Chapter 23

**DISCLAIMER: **Still not mine...

* * *

><p><strong>+ HINATA +<strong>

**THE MISSION WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO BEGIN WITH**

_Linger – The Cranberries_

* * *

><p>Flirt with him.<p>

_Him._

Uchiha Sasuke.

How in the world am I going to accomplish that without fainting? More importantly, am I really going to flirt with Uchiha Sasuke? Tenten thought I should give it a shot. You know, act like any other normal female when in the presence of Uchiha Sasuke.

"If you flirt with him," Tenten said, "he'll realize that you're just like everyone else. He will lose interest and everything goes back to the way they were."

It sounds so simple. It's not. What do I even know of flirting… Sure, the person I'm closest to in my family is a guy, my two best friends are guys, I'm teaching vocal lessons to a guy and the only classmate I talk to is a guy. It doesn't mean I can talk to just any guy, much less flirt with him. I definitely think it's going to end in disaster.

But despite my misgivings, I found myself researching some tips about flirting on the internet last night – after Tenten and I had that talk. What even possessed me to print it out? Moreover, why am I reading this in the middle of the library? These suggestions… my face starts heating up. I stow the piece of paper inside my bag. No, I can't do it.

I look around me to see if anyone noticed. Everyone's busy. I guess the students are using the library appropriately. I should too. I go back to rereading my essay for Philosophy. I don't think it makes much sense. That How-to-Flirt tips keeps distracting me. My phone vibrates inside the bag. I glare at it before taking it out. It's not from Uchiha. Strange that I was expecting it to be from him. He sent me 3 messages today: 1. _'Good morning. Did you sleep well?'_ Who wakes up at 5 in the morning? 2. _'Will you be at school today?'_ Of course he knows I don't have classes every Monday. 3. _'It seems that you had a wonderful weekend.'_ Is he keeping tabs on me too? He didn't send any text message after that.

Anyway, I got a text message from Sakura. She's asking if I'm in school and that we should grab a snack somewhere. I wonder if she's feeling better now. She didn't want to leave my room yesterday but her mom was looking for her. In spite of the events last Saturday night, I still feel a little bit awkward around her. I'm quite sure that if she didn't send me a text message, I wouldn't send her one. I'm happy she made the first move, though. I missed her. I send her my reply. Smiling, I put my phone aside and grab my essay again to try and read it a couple more times.

V^^V

I walk toward the practice room in a better mood than when I walked inside the campus this morning. Sakura and I spent a great afternoon together. We had snacks and she told me about her part-time job. She's always been scouted by different modeling agencies since high school and she would turn them down. But now that she's in a difficult situation and needed the money, she couldn't refuse. Throughout our little get-together, we didn't mention anything about the things that happened this past month. Or the things that are happening now. It's best to avoid talking about Uchiha Sasuke. I have Tenten to talk to with regards to that person, anyway.

I open the door to practice room 7, turn on the lights and almost had a heart attack. Leaning against the wall is none other than Uchiha Sasuke. What the hell's he doing in here?! He stares at me, his expression unreadable. Although… there's something foreboding about the glint in his eyes.

"I-It's y-you." I mumble weakly, clutching my chest. "Y-you scared me."

He turns to face me. "Naruto will be late."

I don't know why but I feel like I should run out of here. Now. His voice is quiet. Too quiet. "O-oh… w-why?"

"He has to go to the infirmary."

"Is… is h-he okay?" I'm still holding the doorknob and the door's still open… if I can just…

Uchiha Sasuke closes the door. Fuck. I didn't even notice him move away from the wall. "He'll survive."

Okay, calm down. You're Hyuuga Hinata. You're not easily intimidated. Unless it's your father. But that's beside the point. I move away from him because I need some space, dammit. I stand next to the piano and try my best to not look nervous. "W-what h-happened?"

I squeak when I see him approach me. With that runway walk of his. Tenten said his walk is really sexy and he's the literal meaning of sex-on-legs. Oh, gosh. _Sex_. My face heats up. Damn fucking blush.

"I punched him." Uchiha answers, sitting behind the piano.

"Why did you punch him?" I ask. I'm relieved that he's at a safe distance. He starts playing Bach. He knows how to play the piano?

"I don't like you flirting with Naruto."

Flirting. There's that word again. I remember the list that's still in my bag. I was supposed to flirt with you, not with Naruto. "I wasn't."

"Do you deny spending Saturday night with him?"

I frown. What's his problem? "No."

He doesn't say anything for a while and keeps playing. He's really good. Like seriously good. He's got such long fingers. As I listen, my mind drifts off to that list. Keeping a watch on him – making sure he doesn't glance up – I stealthily pull that piece of paper out of my bag. I unfolded it as quietly as I can.

_How to Flirt with a Guy_

_1. Show him you're interested._

Right. How?! Fuck, am I really doing this? Think of the things going back to the way they were before you met him. Life will go back to its peaceful state. So yeah. I must do this. I continue reading.

_Make eye contact. While you don't want it to look like you're staring deep into his soul, lingering eye contact will show him you're interested. It will also be a good indicator of his interest—if he holds the eye contact, he's probably into you. If he looks away he might not be, or he might just be shy._

Lingering eye contact? How the hell am I supposed to do that? _If he holds the eye contact, he's probably into you_. No shit. _If he looks away he might not be, or he might just be shy_. I seriously doubt that. Gathering my courage, I clear my throat. Here goes nothing.

"T-that's a beautiful piece." He looks up. Eye contact. Well, I don't know about lingering but this sure feels like we're having a staring contest. He stops playing and just holds the eye contact. Yeah, he's probably into me. "I played that once in a recital. Didn't go so well."

His lips quirk upward fleetingly. "What happened?"

I peek at the next bullet.

_Smile. This will show him that you are having fun, and will put him at ease. It will also help you relax!_

Easy. I can do that. I smile all the time. "I threw up." I answer, smiling at him.

He scowls at me. "What are you doing?"

Eh… it's supposed to put him at ease. It says so here. Instead he looks like he's angry that I smiled at him. "W-what… s-smiling?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm a human and I'm capable of smiling…?"

"Do you smile at Naruto like that?"

Like what? "Of course. I smile all the time at every –"

Uchiha Sasuke stands up abruptly. I tuck the piece of paper back in my bag as he advances toward me. I gulp. He looks very angry. What did I do? My back hits the wall. He keeps coming until he's only a foot away. There's something awfully familiar about this. My heartbeat quickens and I'm trembling. From what, I don't know. Just that, he's so close that I… I feel so dizzy and I'm having difficulty in breathing.

"Are you scared?" he asks softly.

"N-no…" He steps closer and I shrink back as far as the wall would allow. "Y-you promised to wait."

"I tend to forget my promises when I'm pissed off." Uchiha murmurs, stepping even closer.

Okay now I'm really scared. Don't come any closer… he closes the remaining distance between us. My eyes widen when he leans his forehead against the wall behind me. I can't breathe. Don't faint. I stare straight ahead, trying to ignore the shoulder that's touching the tip of my nose. Don't faint. Focus on his flaws. He's conceited, short-tempered, rude, pervert, immature and damn he smells nice.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, he lifts his head and smirks. "You were flirting with me just now, weren't you?"

I frown. He said he was pissed off and now he looks amused. The conceited asshole is back. Right. Don't be cross. He gets turned on when you get annoyed. But I guess my flirting is effective. If only I can read the next step… But I can still remember some of it. I did read it a few times. Something about making the first move and complimenting him… What kind of compliment? Something like you're so smart that you figured out that I'm flirting with you? It doesn't sound like a compliment. I remember something about touching his shoulder when you're standing close. We're definitely standing close.

I try my best to look nonchalant about it. Laughing awkwardly, I rest a hand on his shoulder. I resist the urge to push him away. "M-me? F-flirting? N-no way! Haha… ha… ha…"

My awkward laugh trails off as I notice how still Uchiha Sasuke has become. His shoulder stiffens. I look up. He's staring at me in disbelief. Wow, his eyes are really pretty this close. They're so dark… something pokes my side. I gasp. But before I can scream bloody murder, Uchiha Sasuke crashes his lips against mine.

He kissed me twice before. But not like this. There's something different about this kiss. It's almost as if he's desperate and hungry. I don't know what to do. I'm standing here awkwardly… hardly moving, barely breathing. My grip on his shoulder tightens as I gasp. He slips his tongue in. This is unlike anything I have ever experienced before. So I can't really blame my body for responding to his urgent kisses. Or maybe I can just blame momentary insanity. I don't really know! I just find myself kissing him back because… because… he smells really, really nice. And he tastes surprisingly pleasant. The first time I heard about couples exchanging saliva, I was disgusted. I didn't get the reason why someone would want to exchange saliva. Now I kinda get it. I suppose if the person I'm exchanging saliva with is someone like Uchiha Sasuke. There's nothing disgusting about this at all. In fact, his taste is a bit delectable.

Finally he lifts his head for a much-needed breather. That's when I notice that both my hands are entangled in his hair and his arms are around me. How did they get in there? But before I can gather my wits again and remove my hands away from his hair, Uchiha Sasuke latches his lips against my neck. What is he doing… I can't even… I'm making all these embarrassing sounds while I pull at his hair.

"S-s-stop… U-Uchiha…" I gasp as he bites and sucks at my neck.

Oh.

He moves away from my abused neck to trail kisses upwards. "You're mine." He whispers against my lips before capturing them again in another demanding kiss.

The rational part of my brain is berating me for a total lack of resistance this time. I don't think I care very much anymore. Until the door bursts open, that is.

"HINATA-CHAN! SORRY I'M – shit." Naruto stops short by the doorway, immobilized by shock. He's staring wide-eyed at us.

And that's when sense comes back. I push Uchiha Sasuke away. I face the wall to hide my shame. What did I do? What did I do? What should I do?! I wish the wall would swallow me alive.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HINATA-CHAN, YOU BASTARD?!" Naruto asks angrily. I do hope he closed the door.

"Nothing she didn't want." Uchiha answers casually.

GO TO HELL!

"Yo, Uzumaki! What happened to your face? Where's Hyuuga?" that voice… shit. Kidomaru-senpai. "Hyuuga? What's going on here?"

I have no choice but to abandon the wall. I turn around slowly. I probably look a mess. My face is still burning and my heart hasn't calmed down yet. I keep my head down. "S-s-s-senpai… u-uhm…"

"We were just talking." Uchiha Sasuke cuts in. "I told her that Naruto will be late. But now that Naruto is here, I'll take my leave." He steps closer to whisper in my ears, "See you."

I blush even harder. He lowered his voice on purpose to tease me. Damn him.

"The Drama Club calls for a meeting." Kidomaru-senpai says the moment Uchiha Sasuke left. I'm kinda glad it was Naruto who walked in on us. I don't think he will tell anyone about it. "In their clubroom. Now. Both of you."

He left without further ado. I pick up my bag from the floor. I didn't know I dropped it. I walk to the door, still not looking at Naruto. It was an embarrassing experience to be walked in on while… while… Uchiha and I… were kissing.

"You okay?" Naruto asks kindly. I look up at him. There's a cut on his upper lip and a bruise under his left eye.

"I should be the one asking you that."

"Eh? This?" he gestures at his face and grins. "It's nothing. I had worse."

"Uchiha did that to you?"

"Yeah!" he confirms cheerfully as we walk down the hallway. He catches me staring. "But don't worry. It's all good. We fight all the time. Anyway, you didn't answer my question. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I assure him. He doesn't look convinced, though.

"That bastard… he's not forcing you to do things, does he?"

"No, he's not." He's not forcing me anymore. I've become a willing participant. How did it even come to that?

V^^V

I sigh for the hundredth time. I have a paper due tomorrow but I can't concentrate. No matter how much I try to force myself, I always end up staring at the computer screen and getting lost in thought. This is not good. I was distracted during the meeting. Sakura asked me what's wrong and I couldn't answer her. I couldn't even look her in the eyes. I know that we just got back to being friends again and it will not do well for me to keep things from her but how do I tell her that the man she loves kissed me and I kissed him back? Which then brings me back to the event that happened inside the practice room.

I can still taste him. I can still smell him. I can still feel the hard planes of his shoulder, the softness of his hair…

I rest my forehead against the table. It's no good. I will not get anything done if I keep thinking about him. But now that I've calmed down and can finally think straight again, maybe this is a good time for me to think about everything and figure things out. But I sort of don't want to. I'm not sure if I'm going to like whatever conclusion I will come up with if I figure out what happened. Yeah, I'm quite sure I will not like it. Or maybe I'm going to not like that I liked it. This is why I don't want to think about it or figure it out. It's frustrating.

My phone vibrates again. I glance at it. Uchiha Sasuke's been sending me text messages since this afternoon. Most of them are nonsense:

'_Are you attracted to me now? That was fast.'_

'_I mean, I didn't even put that much effort.'_

'_I can't wait to see you again.'_

'_Something came up. Looks like I have to wait until tomorrow to see you again.'_

'_Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow… If Naruto tries anything stupid tell me. I'll double the size of his bruise.'_

The Drama Club's president threw a fit when she saw Naruto's face. _He's our star_, she screamed. The meeting was about the sudden performance we have to pull for the festival this weekend. Naruto and Sakura have to perform a duet from the musical. Sort of like a teaser performance. _No one's allowed to touch him until after the festival, not even Uchiha Sasuke, _the Drama Club president threatened_._ I don't think Uchiha Sasuke's easily threatened, though. Naruto wouldn't tell why Uchiha punched him but I can't seem to shake off this feeling that it has something to do with me.

I pick up my phone. Another text message from Uchiha Sasuke. _'Goodnight. Go to sleep early. You wouldn't want to be late for your class tomorrow.'_ I stare at his message for a few moments. The way he texts is kinda… admirable. He doesn't shorten words. He uses punctuation marks properly. No guy texts like that these days. I push my phone aside. Regardless, it doesn't change the fact that Uchiha Sasuke is a conceited asshole. Now he's condescending too. I hate it when someone tells me to sleep early. Don't they understand the concept of insomnia? Sure, he probably doesn't know but still… he seems to know a lot about me. And I know very little about him. Not counting the stupid messages he sent, of course.

Opening my browser, I tell myself that it's okay. Uchiha most likely did a research on me so why should I not do the same? I type in Uchiha Sasuke on the search bar. Interesting key words pop out:

_Uchiha Sasuke shirtless_

_Uchiha Sasuke sex tape_

_Uchiha Sasuke sex scandal_

_Uchiha Sasuke in uniform_

_Uchiha Sasuke playing basketball_

_Uchiha Sasuke sweaty_

_Uchiha Sasuke wallpapers_

I ignore the second and third ones. I can't even… Does he have those? There must be something wrong with my touchpad. It clicked on the first one without my permission and I find myself staring at pictures of a shirtless Uchiha Sasuke. Most of the pictures look like they were stolen shots. Taken by his crazy stalker fangirls, no doubt.

He's so pale. He's really lean and muscular. He has really well-defined abs. And by well-defined I mean shit. No one should be allowed to have a body like that. It's unfair how perfect it is. I feel my face heating up as I remember how that perfect body was pressed against mine only hours before. I hastily close the browser. That kiss this afternoon… and now this… I don't even want to think about why I was browsing through pictures of a shirtless Uchiha Sasuke. Or how weird it makes me feel looking at them.

V^^V

"Good morning!" Tenten greets in her customary cheerful tone as I emerge from my bedroom.

"Morning." I mumble gloomily. I barely had any sleep, as usual. But at least I finished my paper.

"Well…?" Tenten probes.

"Well, what?" I ask, sitting down opposite her and yawning.

She rolls her eyes. "Did you do it? Flirt with Uchiha Sasuke?"

I stare at her. You said he will lose interest but he pounced on me. And I enjoyed it. Kinda. Maybe. I guess. Ugh, it's too early to talk about this shit. Stalling, I gather my hair up to tie it into a ponytail. Tenten sputters on her coffee.

"Are you okay?"

"You –! What –" she struggles to form sentences through her mini coughing fit. She recovers soon enough and stares at me in disbelief. "You have a hickey on your neck!"

"A what?" my hand goes to my neck to check whatever it is but my hand comes up with nothing. "What is it?"

Tenten looks around, grabs a mirror and thrusts it in front of me. "There! A kiss mark! You have a kiss mark on your neck on display for the whole world to see!"

I stare at it in horror. "K-k-kiss m-mark? B-b-but how –?" Right. Uchiha fucking Sasuke. I rub at the mark. "How do I get rid of this? Make this go away!"

"Ok, relax. Calm down." Tenten says soothingly. She takes the mirror away and grabs my hands to stop them from injuring my neck or something. "It won't go away easily. It takes a week or so."

I am horrified. "Make it disappear." I plead, sobbing.

"Don't worry, don't worry. We can cover it up with foundation after you take your shower. What happened? Did you flirt with Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yes." I sob. "I didn't even get to number 2… Because he – he –"

"He thought you were really flirting with him and gave you that hickey. Possessive, much?"

"What?"

"He marked you as his. Why else would he put it somewhere for everyone to see?"

V^^V

For the first time since this whole thing started, I am quite looking forward to seeing Uchiha Sasuke. To kill him. He will pay for humiliating me. Marking me as his? HA! Who the fuck does he think he is? Speaking of the devil, he's waiting for me outside the practice room. He straightens up the moment he catches sight of me. He's wearing all-black again. I expected him to turn up much sooner but this is perfect. I grab his arm, push him inside and shut the door.

"Impatient, are we?" he smirks that annoying smirk as he reaches for me.

I dodge his hand. "You bastard. How dare you do this to me?" I remove the scarf around my neck. Tenten did well concealing the hideous mark but I won't stop freaking out about it so I used a scarf.

"Good job in concealing it." He glances at my neck with a self-satisfied expression. I want to throw up. "Don't you like it?"

He is unbelievable. "Who would like this? What even gave you the impression that I wanted to have this?"

"I don't really care if you like it or not. I just wanted to give you a little reminder that you are mine."

"I am not yours!" I burst out. "Nor will I ever be!"

"Are you sure about that?" he asks smugly, walking towards me. "If Naruto didn't interrupt us yesterday…"

"Stop." I call out as I evade his approaching figure. "Don't come any closer. Don't ever touch me again."

"Why not? The alluring gasps that you made while I touched and kissed you kept me awake all night."

I blush. "That… that was…"

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it." he keeps coming until I'm backed against the wall again. This is getting really tiring. He places his hands on either side of my head, imprisoning me. "What? You were so adorable yesterday. The way you flirted… if you call that flirting."

He chuckles. I want to wipe that smug smirk off his face. "Don't get the wrong idea. It was just a mission."

"What do you mean?"

The smirk is replaced with a frown. Half of me wants to burst his bubble while the other half is warning me not to do it. I look away. His eyes are getting more intense by the minute. "I wanted you off my back and out of my life. So I thought… if I show you that I'm like any other girls… It wasn't a success anyway so whatever."

"You think that by acting like a fangirl I'll get sick of you?" he asks after a long pause. I can feel the anger radiating from him.

"Y-yes…" my heart starts beating fast. And to think that I was supposed to be the one being pissed off around here. Now it's his turn to be pissed off and I'm the one scared.

"I was actually fucking hap –" he slams his hands against the wall and I can't help but jump in fright. He moves away. I let out the breath I've been holding. "Did it make you happy, making a fool of me? What I feel for you is fucking real. I'm not playing around. I didn't know you're capable of cruelty, Hinata."

I'm shocked by that accusation. But I'm more shocked by the unmistakable pain I can see in his eyes. "I – I'm sorry… it wasn't my intention to hurt you or anything."

He's suddenly in front of me with two long strides. "Don't flirt with me if you're not going to sleep with me. I've been restraining myself but since you want to play games, let's play."

Grabbing my head, he pulls me into a forceful kiss. I can't find anything enjoyable about this kiss and so I struggle against him. His hands are everywhere. When I'm finally able to use my own hand, I slap him with all I have. Shit, my hand hurt. I stare up at him, panting.

"Now you know." Uchiha Sasuke smirks. But there's no trace of arrogance in his expression. It's blank. "Don't ever fuck with me."

* * *

><p><em>August 08, 2013 – Dramas… Anyway, I have reasonable explanation as to why it took me so long – I had the cold, flu, cough, the real world was looking for me, etc. It's been a hectic month.<em>

_The last scenario's been in my head (the inside of my head is terrible, I tell you) since last year and I'm glad to finally show it to you guys. I have quite a lot of obstacles/misunderstandings in store for these two lovebirds, unfortunately. Or fortunately. Depends if you like dramas like me, LOL!_

_I hope you guys like this chapter since I said I'm excited for this. I planned on having a Gaara chapter but I changed my mind. But yeah, I'm excited to write a Gaara chapter again._

_Thanks as always for the lovely reviews! They make me smile. And in some cases, laugh. (You nagger, you~) ^^_


	24. Chapter 24

**DISCLAIMER: **Naruto and the song are not mine...

* * *

><p><strong>+ SASUKE +<strong>

… **I'M TURNING SAPPY…**

_The Blower's Daughter – Damien Rice_

* * *

><p>Hyuuga Hinata is a complicated person.<p>

Maybe women in general are complicated. But I don't know. I've never dealt with women before. I don't deal with women. Ever. The only thing I did with them was have sex. The relationship began and ended inside the bedroom. Beyond that, I didn't give a damn. Until Hyuuga Hinata, of course. The funny (annoying) thing is, the _relationship_ has not even begun yet and it feels like I've already been through shit and back. Who would have thought that she would do something like that…

I suppose it was partly my fault. Yes, partly. It wouldn't come to this if she said yes in the first place. And if I'm not so fucking persistent. She's obviously not that into me. I know that. But what else can I do? I tried walking away. Didn't work out. I'm not about to do the same thing again. Not now that I know she's starting to feel something for me. Just thinking about Monday afternoon is enough to make me adjust my pants.

She kissed me back.

She fucking kissed me back. She didn't freeze up. She didn't throw up. _She kissed me back._ My hopes skyrocketed that day. It definitely felt like I was floating up in space. I was in such a good mood that I didn't even mind being thrown into one of my mom's spontaneous dinner get-together with Naruto and his family. Everyone kept staring at me in bewilderment. Naruto, of course, knew why I was in a good mood. The idiot wouldn't stop grinning. And since I was in a good mood, I let it pass. But the next day, I suddenly came crashing back down to earth. I was so stupid. So much for hoping, huh? Who would have really thought Hinata would go so far as to pretend she was interested in me? But then again… she kissed me back. I was sure that, at that moment, we wanted the same thing. Was her desire part of the pretence? Somehow I don't think so. I've kissed a lot of women and I can tell if they like my kisses or not. Hyuuga Hinata definitely liked them.

And that's what the complication is – her refusal to admit that she's attracted to me. I won't say she likes me (not yet, anyway) but I can sense that she finally sees a gorgeous male specimen – me. I haven't asked if she's starting to find me attractive, though. As a matter of fact, the rest of the week, we didn't talk to each other at all because I'm still pissed off and I feel a little guilty. Of what, I'm not quite sure… but yeah, I'm still pissed off. I figured some distance ought to cool me down. Not even her text message (the first she sent since the _'stop texting me'_ one) – _I'm so sorry. I really am. I have no excuse for what I did. It was a poor decision on my part. I'm sorry_ – was enough to diminish my anger. I stopped sending her text messages, actually. Not because I was pissed off but because I overheard Shikamaru on the phone that night when we were watching UFC:

"What?" he snapped angrily when he answered his phone. "Ino, you've been sending me a message every ten minutes this past couple of hours… There's no way I'll reply… Well, what the hell am I supposed to say… You just texted me with 'this flower smells nice'… It's really stupid… All your messages are stupid… You shouldn't even bother me. I'm studying… Look, this whole texting, it's a boyfriend-girlfriend thing. I'm not your boyfriend… If you know that, then stop bothering – fuck, she hang up."

First off, I've never seen Shikamaru get so worked up before. Almost nothing fazes that guy. Second, damn. All those messages I sent to Hinata… I probably looked more of an idiot than the idiot. And third, well, I lost interest in sending any more text messages after that. I'm not much of a texter anyway. I'd rather talk to her in person so that I can see her beautiful, expressive face.

"It's been a long time since I last walked here." Namikaze Minato murmurs wistfully as he looks up at Hongo Campus's Red Gate.

I was a bit surprised when I met Naruto's dad for the first time. I probably watched a couple of racing competition he participated in. Back then, I noticed the resemblance between him and Naruto but dismissed it. I thought there's no way the idiot's related to the ultra cool race car driver. It's still really hard to believe that the Yellow Flash is the idiot's dad.

Our little group walks inside the campus excitedly. Except for me, of course. I don't want to be here. I don't want to watch the idiot sing. But my dear mother dragged me along. _You have to support your best friend,_ she said. Support my ass. She's punishing me for punching Naruto. I glare at her back. She's walking along with Kushina, their arms entwined and giggling like school girls. They're a couple of grown women, dammit. I glare at the supposedly cool Yellow Flash next to them who keeps snapping pictures excitedly.

"Don't look too happy, little brother." An amused voice murmurs beside me. "You'll strain yourself."

And then there's stupid Itachi. I don't even know why he's here. He doesn't have any business being here. "Shut up."

I hate stupid school festivals. There's too many people, too crowded, too noisy… I fucking hate it. I especially hate these stupid idiots in cosplay, trying to grab everyone's attention. Good thing the Basketball Club didn't come up with something as stupid as cosplay. We're selling some smoothies and everything was sold out this morning. Thanks to me, of course. We make our way past the busy food stands toward the courtyard where the Drama Club and Music Club are having their performances. It's already full of people. My eyes automatically scan the place to look for Hinata. She should be here. I spot Shikamaru on the other side of the courtyard, looking pissed. Chouji is standing between him and their blonde friend who also looks pissed. Chouji seems unaware as he eats his chips happily. Captain Haku is already here with the rest of the team. Some people are up on the stage, arranging the instruments. Someone's going to perform soon.

"Hey, Sasuke." Itachi calls out. Turning, I see him holding some rings. The students from the Handicraft Club behind him can barely contain their excitement. "Think you can defeat me in Ring Toss?"

What the hell. "Don't be stupid. I'm not a child anymore."

Itachi being Itachi, he knows exactly how to rile me up. "Scared to lose?"

"You're on." I mutter, grabbing the rings from his hand. Our mom and her friends are busy in the food stands.

Itachi smirks. "The one who gets the biggest prize wins."

The biggest prize there is this big teddy bear. I don't care very much about the teddy bear but I have to win and show Itachi what a spectacular shooter I am. As we're playing Ring Toss, the crowd around the stage erupts into cheers as some band starts playing heavy metal. This music is sick. I'm kinda having a little bit of fun playing this childish game because of the really cool music in the background. But, like with everything else, it was short-lived. Itachi got the big teddy bear and I got a moody-looking black cat plushie. Whatever.

We walk over to where mom and the others are. That's when I recognize who is performing on the stage. None other than the redhead wannabe rockstar. My mood sours even more.

"He's quite good." Itachi remarks admiringly. "Do you know who he is?"

"No."

I turn away. Almost instantly, my gaze finds the person I wanted to see the most. She's standing a few feet away, wearing jeans and a simple shirt, hair up in a high ponytail. The hickey on her neck is gone. She's not wearing any makeup and still she looks so fucking beautiful. I watch her as she watched the performance on the stage. This _thing_ that's nagging my insides can't be healthy. And then there's this thing in my chest that keeps tightening every time her smile widens as she watch _him_. Will she ever look at me like that? I want her to look at me like that. I want her to look only at me. I want many things but when I tried getting what I want, I always end up hurting her. I remember clearly how she trembled last Tuesday. How pale she was, her eyes were huge with fear… I wasn't thinking and acted out of anger. I deserve that slap. I was guilty. I guess that's one of the reasons why I avoided her all week. And after I warned her not to fuck with me… well, she cried. The sight of her tears snapped me out of that anger and I walked out of the practice room without saying another word. I didn't mean to make her cry.

She must've sensed that someone's staring at her because she looks around until she finds me. Our eyes meet. I will never get tired of seeing her blush. She goes back to watching the performance but the blush on her cheeks never left. It made me feel a little better. She may be looking at another man but she's definitely aware of my presence.

"Oh, is that Hinata-san?" Mom asks once the performance ended and everyone was done screaming wildly for a guy who didn't even acknowledge the crowd. He's as impassive as ever. "Hinata-san!"

Shit. Hinata hears my mom calling. Double shit. Mom gestures for Hinata to come over. Triple shit. Go. Run. Run away. Without hesitation or maybe she didn't hear my thoughts or maybe courteousness had been embedded deep in her DNA, Hinata walks over to where we are.

"Good afternoon." Hinata bows politely.

Go. Run away. Dammit, this is not how I pictured our first meeting after Tuesday to be. I pictured that we would be alone, preferably somewhere private and not in this noisy courtyard surrounded by lots of people who think they're being subtle by trying to pretend they're not staring at us but really they are. And then of course my mom and Itachi are here.

"Hello, Hinata-san." Mom greets back warmly. "Guys, this is Nadeshiko's eldest daughter Hyuuga Hinata. Hinata, I would like you to meet Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina."

"U-uhm, Uzumaki?" Hinata asks as Kushina shakes her hand eagerly.

"She's Naruto's mother." I answer because apparently I can't keep my mouth shut when it needed to be shut. Itachi looks amused. I want to kick him.

"O-oh, nice to meet you."

"Nice to finally meet my son's vocal coach." Kushina steps closer to whisper loudly at Hinata. "I saw the picture on Facebook. But then, of course, Sasuke doesn't like talking about that." They've been teasing me about it. Naruto told them why I punched him. "But let's not talk about big bad Sasuke. How's my son? He's not giving you a hard time, does he?"

"Naruto-kun is fun to be with."

Tch.

"As expected of my son." Minato mutters in approval. "I'm Naruto's father, by the way."

"I k-know. Naruto-kun talks about you all the time."

Minato chuckles before asking, "Are you my son's girlfriend?"

Kushina whacks him in the head. "Sasu-chan will beat your precious son again. Hinata-san is with Sasuke."

By now Hinata's face resembles a ripe tomato. I like it. Mom grabs her away from Kushina's clutches. "Hinata-san, I would like you to meet my eldest son and Sasuke's brother Itachi."

I snicker as Itachi struggles to keep a hold of the big teddy bear in his arms. He looks stupid. "Hello."

"H-hi." Hinata returns with a smile. "W-what a cute teddy bear."

My snicker disappears. Itachi, the asshole, notices too. "Do you like teddy bears?"

"T-they're okay."

"You can have this if you want."

"E-eh?!"

I step in-between them. If someone has to give Hinata a fucking teddy bear, that would be me. "That's for his girlfriend." I growl at Hinata. I thrust the cat plushie into her hands. My mom and Kushina are squealing. I can feel eyes on me – someone's even taking a picture – but at the moment I don't really give a crap. "Here. This is yours. For what happened… I didn't mean to – but if you don't want it, throw it or give it away or whatever. I don't care."

Why is it so hard for me to say sorry? And I'm usually eloquent so why the fuck am I having trouble finding the right words to say? Hinata looks like she'd rather be somewhere else. I can't blame her. Everyone's staring openly now. I expect there will be a new article about Bad Boy and Weird Girl in the university forum later.

"That's Sasuke-speak for I'm sorry." Itachi interjects.

"Fuck off." I snarl at him. Mom hears that, of course.

"Uchiha Sasuke, watch your language." She reproves quietly, fixing me with those lethal eyes that promises non-stop lecture once we're out of here. "There's a young lady standing beside you. Apologize. Now."

"I'm sorry." I tell a surprised Hinata. Mom seems to be satisfied with that as she nods in approval. Just then, the Drama Club president takes the stage to introduce the next performance. Mom, Naruto's parents and Itachi's attentions turn to her while I remain standing here and staring at Hinata's bowed head. She didn't move away but I wish she would look up so that she can see what I'm really saying sorry for. Clearing my throat, I explain softly. "About the other day… I lost my temper. I'm sorry."

She looks up but doesn't say anything. She glances at the plushie in her hands. "This cat looks weird."

"Yeah."

"It looks like you."

Suddenly the whole courtyard is clapping. I'm grateful for the distraction. I don't know what to reply but all I know is that right now, this is turning into a _moment_. And then I keep having this urge to take her in my arms and kiss her in front of the whole world. She just looks so adorable. The blush on her face never left and her mouth… I look away. In front of me, Kushina's struggling with her digital camera. She argues with Minato that she will take the video because she has the best view and he's not that tall, either.

Sighing, I tap her on the shoulder. "Let me. I'll take the video."

"Really?" she beams thankfully.

"You'll just end up not recording anything." I mumble as I fix the camera. "Remember our championship?"

"I remember that." Itachi chuckles. "She managed to record something but it was all over the place."

"She and mom were too busy cheering." I smirk, getting into position to record the idiot's first performance.

"Stop teasing her, boys." Mom tells us but Kushina and Minato are laughing.

I glance down to my right and have to do a double-take because I'm quite sure that _Hinata is staring at me_. "What?"

She shakes her head. "N-nothing."

I was going to press her about it but the intro starts playing and everyone goes quiet. Naruto appears on the stage with an uncharacteristic seriousness. I hit the record button and focus the camera on him.

_I'm not scared to tell the truth_

_I've been to hell and back, and I went with you_

_Remind me what we were before_

_When we said you are mine and I am yours_

By now everyone is staring in awe. Even the students manning the stalls and passers-by stopped to watch the performance. Kushina and Minato are holding on to each other. A pink-haired woman walks up from the side of the stage.

_I don't know much, but I know myself_

_And I don't want to love anybody else_

_So let's break the spell and lift the curse_

_Remember when we fell for each other head first_

Naruto moves to the center as he starts singing the chorus. It's a common knowledge that the idiot has a very expressive face. However, I don't think anyone expected to see him sing with so much emotion. I didn't even know he can act.

_Look at this heart-shaped wreckage_

_What have we done?_

_We've got scars from battles nobody won_

_We can start over, better_

_Both of us know if we just let the broken pieces_

_Let the broken pieces go_

The pink-haired, I think her name is Sakura, joins Naruto in the center. She can sing, all right.

_I can't find you in the dark_

_Will we get back to who we are?_

_And I can't fix this on my own_

_Our love is still the best thing I've ever known_

Naruto and his partner are now face-to-face and holding hands. In a romantic, cheesy way. Mom and Kushina are aww-ing. I roll my eyes.

_Look at this heart-shaped wreckage_

_What have we done?_

_We've got scars from battles nobody won_

_We can start over, better_

_Both of us know if we just let the broken pieces_

_Let the broken pieces go_

_Let the broken pieces go_

_Just hold on to each other tonight oh_

_Look at this heart-shaped wreckage_

_What have we done?_

_We've got scars from battles nobody won_

_We can start over, better_

_Both of us know if we just let the broken pieces_

_Let the broken pieces_

_Let the broken pieces_

_Let the broken pieces…_

And then they kiss. The whole audience erupts into applause and cheers. Mom, Kushina, Minato and Itachi rush over to the stage. Probably to congratulate the idiot or to save him from the pink-haired who's now strangling him. I stop the recording once someone saved the idiot from the angry girl.

"I-I'm… I'm sorry too." Hinata mumbles quietly. "I r-really didn't mean to hurt you."

I wasn't hurt. I was angry and upset. "I know. I got your text."

She nods. "But you… you were mad at me…"

"Couples fight." I shrug.

"We are not a couple."

"We are not _yet_ a couple."

She frowns up at me. "I thought you finally gave up."

"Hate to disappoint but I didn't. How can I give up after that kiss?"

She flushes but chooses to ignore that. "Why are you being so persistent?" she asks, exasperated.

"You are quite dense about something everyone has no problem figuring out." I mutter, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She stiffens and her blush intensifies. "I like you."

V^^V

_A CONFESSION?!_

_Hongo's May Festival last Saturday offered a couple of spectacle rarely witnessed. First, the Uchiha brothers were together. Uchiha Itachi (he gets more and more attractive each year, I swear! Itachi-kun's fangirl here!) is Sasuke-kun's older brother. They are close but they are rarely seen in public together. So it was quite a treat to see them. Playing Ring Toss, to boot! That will definitely give the Uchiha bromance fans to write about._

_Second, and most shocking of all, was what looked like Uchiha Sasuke confessing to Weird Girl. In the photo above, the former was seen giving the latter a stuffed toy (the one he won over the Ring Toss match, we're told). Uchiha Sasuke's brother and mother were beside them. Some eyewitnesses can attest to the fact that Weird Girl seemed to be in friendly terms with the Uchiha matriarch. While we may be jumping to conclusions here, we can reassure you guys that it's only a matter of time before these two confirm what we have all been suspecting all along._

I should have just thrown that damned plushie away. But, whatever. What's done is done. And yeah, it's only a matter of time before this goes out and be more than just a campus gossip. I scroll down the page to see the comments. To pass the time, nothing more. I don't care about what people think. I don't give a fuck about the opinion of others. I'm just interested in what they have to say. Some of them are definitely interesting and some of them irritate me.

Like last week. I know about Hinata and Naruto's vocal lessons but there's no fucking need to eat together. Just the two of them. And because the idiot is a stupid idiot, he posted a photo of them with a caption that says 'Dinner date with my sensei'. I got pissed off when I saw that picture in an article (I was bored that night and I decided to browse the net, so what). They looked so fucking cosy. But, even though it pissed me off, I thought nothing of it. Until I read the comments about how they look good together and they should just date each other. I stared at their picture all night and couldn't help but notice how at ease she was with Naruto. So yeah, I punched the idiot the next day.

The door to the practice room opens and in comes Hinata, seemingly preoccupied. She closes the door, walks over to the piano, looks up and finally sees me standing here. She's not surprised. She's not even annoyed as usual. She's wary.

"What do you want?" she asks.

"You."

She blushes. "W-what… W-why are you here? Did you do something to Naruto-kun again?"

I tuck my phone away. We have come to an agreement, Naruto and I. In exchange for 15 minutes with Hinata every afternoon for one month, I've set Naruto a date with that girl from his favorite KPOP group. It was no easy feat but I managed to pull it off. Hinata's still waiting for an answer. I shrug. "He's happy about it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Let's not talk about Naruto. He'll be here in 15 minutes." Crossing my arms, I stare at her. Something's off with her. I noticed it when she came in. Is it the reason for the dark circles under her eyes? "Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

She turns away. "My mother's in town." she mumbles after a few moments of silence. I think she's thinking out loud and didn't really want to tell me.

Ah. Hinata and her mother have a strained relationship. I saw that in the restaurant three weeks ago. Hinata's frowning again and her eyes stared unseeing at the piano. I guess she's not looking forward to having her mother around. I'm at a complete loss. I don't know what to fucking do and say. But there's one thing I know. I hate that look.

Hinata jumps when she notices me practically standing right next to her. She retreats as she opens and closes her mouth to say something but nothing came out. We finally reach the wall. She holds out her hands in front of her to keep me at bay.

"W-wait… Why… w-why do you always corner me like this against the wall?"

"Would you rather we do this in the middle of the room where anyone could peek in and see?"

"I'd rather we don't do this at all. Whatever _this_ is."

"It's this."

I grab her face and kiss her the way I wanted to the moment she walked in. My mouth against hers. Our faces and bodies pressed close together. Her warm cheeks under my palms. Her arms are between us to fend me off but she didn't do anything. She doesn't seem aware that she's clutching my shirt. She's so soft and warm. My hand slides down to her waist. Her hand reaches for my throat and at the back of my head. I pull her even tighter against me. I tease her lips some more before parting from them. She gasps as I kiss my way down to her neck.

"Uchiha… w-wait…" the small hand at the back of my head is urging me to look up. "S-stop, Uchiha."

I kiss her lips once more. A few more. "Sasuke."

"E-e-eh?" she squeaks as I nuzzle her neck.

"Call me Sasuke if you want me to stop." I murmur against her lips. 15 minutes is almost over but she doesn't know that. Her eyes are clouded with different emotions. "Call me Sasuke and I'll stop. I will always stop."

"… Sasuke."

I immediately step back and walk away. It's hard and I'm not just talking about Little Sasuke. But, man. That was the stupidest fucking idea. Seriously, what the fuck am I thinking? I nearly had a heart attack when she called me Sasuke. I wanted to ravish her again. But I'm supposed to stop every fucking time. This is so fucking messed up.

* * *

><p><em>September 27, 2013 – Sorry for ending the chapter with a lot of swearing but our Sasuke is freaking out. And so am I, actually. One reader said she's waiting for lemon and I freaked out. We are getting closer, guys. I AM FREAKING OUT because it'll be my first lemon. Also, that's where we're going but how to get us there is something I'm still trying to figure out. So expect slow updates…<em>

_I would also like to apologize to those who didn't like the way Sasuke reacted last chapter. I understand but just know that I am going somewhere with that. I think. I mean, that is if I can do character development right. Sasuke is flawed. He's short-tempered and he told Hinata that a few chapters back. But despite his short temper, I can't see him hurting Hinata physically. I honestly can't see him reacting any other way than the way he did last chapter. If I make Sasuke hit Hinata, this fanfic will not be SasuHina anymore. Also, I did say from the very start that the progress is going to be really slow. The timeline of the story started in April (gosh, I still have to edit chapter 1) and we're still in May. No one changes overnight. Especially not someone like Sasuke._

_The duet Naruto and Sakura sings is from one of my favorite American TV show, Smash._

_Whew, that was long. Anyway. Thanks for the reviews! They're always amazing. All of them ^^_


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